Chapter 3376: Beneath the Divine Tree
The entire Sword God Temple was filled with lightning, the light blinding to the eyes.
This was no ordinary lightning—it was Calamity Divine Lightning. Each individual bolt was something that even an ordinary god could not withstand.
One could say that unless true gods formed a battle formation and used divine artifacts to combine their attacks, no matter how many of them there were, they could not possibly be a match for an existence at the level of the Thunder Ancestor.
In the direction of Blood Mud City, the lightning grew even more intense. A storm of spiritual power erupted as the two forces clashed fiercely.
Layer upon layer of destructive waves surged toward the primordial world image formed by the Earth Cauldron, distorting the outline of that world.
Zhang Ruochen stood like a stabilizing pillar at the center of the world image.
Within the cramped space of Sword God Temple, even with Zhang Ruochen's cultivation, he could only manage to protect the cultivators within an eighteen-zhang radius.
Bai Qinger and Empress Chi Yao were both severely injured. One had fallen into a deep slumber of spiritual consciousness, while the other's physical body and divine soul had nearly collapsed.
Zhang Ruochen used the Bodhi Tree to protect Bai Qinger, nourishing her spirit.
Empress Chi Yao's injuries were healing on their own.
Having inherited part of the White Pale Blood Soil from Zhang Ruochen, her physical body was rapidly knitting itself back together.
Not far away, Zangjin Baihu's injuries had fully healed. As a divine-venerable-level being, ordinary wounds could be restored in an instant.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said, "Impressive. As expected of the Ancient Illumination Lotus. She already has the strength to contend with a clan ancestor. In the universe, she is definitely a major power—someone even Hao Tian and Fengdu Dadi would have to take seriously. To be honest, Zhang Ruochen, your abilities in certain areas surpass even your cultivation talent."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God had actually had a chance to escape earlier, but in the end, she had turned back.
She was making an innuendo at Zhang Ruochen, but he ignored her, his gaze fixed on the direction of Blood Mud City. The turmoil there was unceasing, divine flowers filling the sky like a kingdom of blossoms.
On the ground, pillars of lightning shot up, blasting the space above Sword God Temple full of holes.
No matter how strong Sword God Temple's defenses were, they could not withstand this level of impact.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God seemed to notice something and said, "Don't worry. Her spiritual power has reached the eighty-eighth rank. And Lei Wanjue—after being cut down by half by Feng Caiyi—has suffered a massive loss in cultivation. He is no match for her."
Zhang Ruochen was not so optimistic. He understood Ji Fanxin's situation very well.
Her spiritual power had only just been unsealed to the eighty-fifth rank and had not yet been consolidated. Now, breaking three more seals in succession might seem like a massive increase in power, but in reality, it carried immense danger.
Losing control of one's own power is often more dangerous than encountering a powerful enemy.
Kill the enemy by eight hundred, but lose a thousand of your own.
Moreover, even if Ji Fanxin now possessed eighty-eighth-rank spiritual power, her application of it was still far too lacking. Compared to Lei Wanjue, who was proficient in all kinds of divine abilities, she was inevitably at a disadvantage.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God noticed something off about the situation at Blood Mud City. The Calamity Divine Lightning was not being suppressed—it was growing stronger.
She immediately said, "Although we now have the combat power to be called kings and venerables, compared to existences like a clan ancestor—who stand at the pinnacle of the universe—we are still far behind. Perhaps we should retreat first? Staying here might become a burden to her."
Bai Qinger woke up, her face sickly pale. Weakly, she said, "Use the divine staff. It can make up for the disadvantage of insufficient spiritual power foundation. Go retrieve the Azure Mountain Divine Staff. It is stronger than the Black Water Divine Staff."
"Water is countered by lightning. But mountains can block it."
Zhang Ruochen gave an order to Zangjin Baihu: "Take them and leave here immediately. Miao Li, come with me."
Zhang Ruochen, carrying Bai Qinger and stepping on the Sundial, flew toward the base of the Sword Source Divine Tree.
"Boom!"
A crack several thousand li long appeared on the ground of Sword God Temple, spreading from Blood Mud City east and west.
Too powerful!
It seemed this ancestral temple was about to be shattered!
Two lightning handprints condensed from the purple-black clouds and flew toward Zhang Ruochen.
Even while locked in combat with Ji Fanxin, the Thunder Ancestor could still spare some power. This made Zhang Ruochen's heart sink. He sent the Earth Cauldron and the Celestial Pivot Needle flying out, coordinating with Xiu Chen Heavenly God to activate them.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The two lightning handprints were shattered by the divine artifacts.
With their current cultivation, Zhang Ruochen and Xiu Chen could no longer be casually manipulated by even ancestral-level figures. They had some ability to defend themselves.
Six dazzling divine lights tore through the darkness, flying out from Sword Soul Hollow.
"Ruochen, take the Great Elder's corpse and leave immediately."
Taiqing Patriarch and Yuqing Patriarch each rode a river of sword energy, wielding the six divine swords as they charged toward Blood Mud City. Having spent many years together, they shared a spiritual connection and could execute a combined sword formation, doubling their combat power.
That was why they dared to join the clash between the Thunder Ancestor and Ji Fanxin.
...
The might of the Thunder Ancestor and Ji Fanxin was too overwhelming. Their divine power punched through Sword God Temple, spreading into the dark space outside.
The entire Dark Night Star Gate, spanning billions of li, trembled incessantly, as if it were about to explode.
The Heavenly Ladder and the Blood Mud Men had already fled.
In Sword Soul Hollow, even Qiangshake and Xiang Fatian had retreated into the thick black mist.
From deep within the black mist came strange sounds, and a faint blood light flickered, visible but indistinct.
This made Zhang Ruochen uneasy. A severely injured Thunder Ancestor had already forced them to use everything they had. If some other terrifying creature emerged, how would they deal with it today?
The light of the Sword Source Divine Tree had already dimmed considerably.
The rain of light had vanished.
Only specks of light remained in the air.
Zhang Ruochen finally saw the true form of the Sword Source Divine Tree.
It was not a tree at all, but a stone mountain—tall and majestic—shaped like a tree. The grooves of the bark, the angles of the branches, and the edges of the leaves were all sharp.
This stone mountain seemed man-made, bearing the marks of sword carving.
Beneath the tree sat a withered, skeletal old man with a white beard. He faced the Sword Source Divine Tree, seated on a stone, holding a divine staff as thick as a stone pillar, dressed in a loose hemp robe.
He seemed to possess life, as if he had only just sat down.
That casual posture contained infinite profundity. Within a hundred zhang of him, the space became very strange. Despite using his utmost speed, Zhang Ruochen could not get close.
Zhang Ruochen stopped, observing with his Truth Divine Eye and deducing with his Wuji Divine Dao.
If the Great Elder were still alive, his mystical methods would indeed be boundless.
But he had passed away a hundred thousand years ago. How could he still block Zhang Ruochen?
In just a moment, Zhang Ruochen found a way to approach. Holding the Earth Cauldron and the God-Defying Stele, he prepared to forcefully open a path.
"Wait. Let me try."
Bai Qinger cut her wrist and let her blood spill onto the ground.
In Sword Soul Hollow and Blood Mud City, events that could affect the entire world's structure were unfolding. Every second felt like an eternity to Zhang Ruochen, Bai Qinger, and Xiu Chen Heavenly God. They all felt the torment of time passing too slowly.
A large amount of blood spilled onto the ground, but nothing changed.
Bai Qinger's eyes dimmed slightly.
She had thought that, just as Qiangshake and Xiang Fatian—figures who had died many years ago—still had remnants of their souls, the Great Elder, who had only passed away a hundred thousand years ago, might still have divine substance within him that had not been extinguished. Perhaps he was not completely dead. Using her blood, she might be able to awaken the remnants of his consciousness.
After all, she was a direct descendant of the Great Elder.
"Don't wait any longer. Just break through the spiritual power field he left behind."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God acted first, slashing out a jade-white light.
That light flew only ten zhang before being dissolved into nothing by the spiritual power field.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God thought she had a certain understanding of the Inverse God Clan Great Elder's cultivation, but after that strike, she fell silent.
After a long while, she said, "No wonder he could travel across all realms and establish the Heavenly Court. I always thought he was riding on the residual might of the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable. Now I realize I was completely wrong. His cultivation in life was no less than that of Xu Fengjin. Both were extreme figures who cultivated both divine power and spiritual power."
While she was lamenting, Zhang Ruochen used the God-Defying Stele and the Earth Cauldron to clear a path through the spiritual power field, bringing Bai Qinger to the side of the Inverse God Clan Great Elder.
Zhang Ruochen had genuine respect for the Great Elder.
For the sake of the Heavenly Court and all realms, he had traveled everywhere.
After establishing the Heavenly Court, he had chosen the worthy to lead.
Even when his life was nearly exhausted, he was still rushing about for the Inverse God Clan, seeking a final chance for survival for his people. In the end, he died in a silent, unknown place.
All his honors and humiliations were erased by the gods of the Heavenly Court and Hell. All records of the Inverse God Clan were destroyed.
He gave without reward, only bringing calamity to his own clan. Many things in the world are so unfair.
But countless gods still admired him!
Zhang Ruochen bowed respectfully to the Great Elder, then reached out his hand toward the Azure Mountain Divine Staff. The tips of his five fingers erupted with powerful divine force, struggling against the final spiritual power barrier.
A distance of one chi felt harder to break through than a chi-thick piece of divine iron.
Cuts appeared on Zhang Ruochen's fingers, his skin splitting open. Finally, he grasped the Azure Mountain Divine Staff. But the staff seemed rooted in place, unmoving no matter how much force he applied.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his hand, looking at the Azure Mountain Divine Staff and the Great Elder with an expression of disbelief.
"Hmm!"
Sensing something, Zhang Ruochen followed the Great Elder's gaze toward the trunk of the Sword Source Divine Tree.
The trunk was very thick. Standing close to it, it looked like a stone wall.
On the stone wall were countless human-shaped carvings, each holding a sword, all with extraordinary bearing.
Upon closer inspection, the entire trunk was covered in carvings, from bottom to top, each with a different posture. Some danced with swords, some executed sword techniques, some sheathed their swords.
The spot the Great Elder was staring at was a circular stone disc on the trunk.
The disc was surrounded by countless secret patterns, apparently embedded in the trunk. At its center was a sword-shaped groove.
Zhang Ruochen immediately took out the Sword Seal, pinching it between two fingers. A look of sudden realization appeared in his eyes. Filled with boundless curiosity, he quickly walked toward the trunk.
At the same time, in Sword Soul Hollow, a thick black cloud spread toward the direction of the Sword Source Divine Tree.
An icy aura fell upon Zhang Ruochen and Bai Qinger first.
From within the black cloud, dozens of chains flew out, clattering as they descended toward them. This attack was launched by the remnant soul of Qiangshake, one of the Four Supreme Pillars.
It had merged with the black cloud, growing goat horns, its demonic aura domineering.
"Whoosh!"
As the Sword Seal was placed into the groove, the Sword Source Divine Tree, which had dimmed, suddenly burst forth with brilliant, dazzling light once more, blocking the flying chains and freezing them in space.
(End of chapter)