Chapter 3431: Night Soil Collapse, Taboo Emerges
Feng Tian resembled a celestial maiden from a painting, pure and noble, but the gaze beneath her veil was cold, as if she stood above all living beings, devoid of any human emotion.
She curled her finger and beckoned.
Instantly, one-tenth of Zhang Ruochen's Darkness Esoterica and the Celestial Pivot Needle flew away from within him.
The Darkness Esoterica flowed around her for a circle before being absorbed into her divine body.
The Celestial Pivot Needle appeared in her palm, and dense Fate Rules spread out from her hand, breaking the boundary between the Void World and the Real World as she calculated something.
Zhang Ruochen retracted his Sword Soul, Sword Spirit, and Sword Bone completely.
In particular, the Sword Bone was hidden within his Mysterious Embryo.
There was no other way; this was the skeleton of the Sword Ancestor, so how could Feng Caiyi not be interested?
Zhang Ruochen looked at Tian Shengjun, who was suppressed beneath the Blood Leaf Sycamore. His Red Centipede body had merged back into one, restored to its original state, and was releasing surging divine power, letting out earth-shaking roars as he tried to break free.
Within the Void World, waves of divine power surged outward layer by layer.
"Hmph!"
Feng Tian glanced down at him, and from the space beside her, several divine artifacts flew out in succession, blasting Tian Shengjun's divine body apart, causing clouds of blood mist to rise.
"Indestructible Infinite... you've reached Indestructible Infinite... Lady Feng Tian, please spare me. I and the Red Centipede Clan have never offended you. From now on, the Red Centipede Clan will be a force under the Death God Palace, and I will follow Lady Feng Tian to the death."
Under different circumstances, even if he saw Feng Caiyi, Tian Shengjun would at most show respect, not act so cowardly. A God Venerable must have the dignity and pride of a God Venerable.
But today, Tian Shengjun sensed the atmosphere was wrong. The moment he rushed into the Void World, Feng Caiyi suppressed him without any intention of communicating.
What did this mean?
Was she going to kill him?
But why? Even if Feng Caiyi bore the title "Death God Venerable" and had killed throughout her life, she wouldn't casually target a God Venerable like this. This would offend an entire clan and create enemies.
Unless she exterminated the entire Red Centipede Clan, their subsequent retaliation would inevitably cause a certain degree of impact on the Death God Palace.
Moreover, the six clans of Night Demon were united, forming such a massive force that even when facing the Destiny Temple, they had some right to speak.
Zhang Ruochen saw that it was unlikely he could take Tian Shengjun back from Feng Tian, so he immediately retreated, planning to return to the Night Soil before the space rift closed.
Feng Tian's voice was clear and beautiful yet plain, but it carried an irresistible will: "Since you're here, take out the Earth Cauldron and refine this centipede for me."
No matter how confident Zhang Ruochen was, he wasn't confident enough to challenge Feng Tian. He revealed a smile and bowed slightly to Feng Tian, saying, "In Lihentian, I must thank Lady Feng Tian for her help. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for me to escape from Lei Zu and Second Adult. Once I've dealt with the matters in the Night Soil, I'll definitely refine a furnace of Infinite Divine Pills for you, Elder."
Feng Tian's tone was not pleasant: "Are you seeking death by returning to the Night Soil now?"
Zhang Ruochen stopped in his tracks.
Of course, he knew that a major upheaval was about to occur in the Night Soil; otherwise, Shi Tian wouldn't have come in person, and Feng Tian wouldn't have appeared in the Void World in person.
But Huang Tian and Qiangu Nüdi were still in the Night Soil.
Huang Tian had Shi Tian's protection, so there was no need to worry. However, Qiangu Nüdi was trapped in the Hundred Leg Emperor Mausoleum, facing Wu Dao and the Phoenix Clan Chief, both Infinite-level beings, in a critical situation.
Zhang Ruochen took another step forward, flying toward the space rift.
But the Space Rules had changed!
He was clearly flying forward, but his body was moving backward, as an invisible force pulled him under the Blood Leaf Sycamore.
In the distance, the space rift completely closed, and the Night Soil disappeared from Zhang Ruochen's sight.
Zhang Ruochen was anxious, worried about Qiangu Nüdi's safety, and said, "Feng Caiyi, you're interfering too much. I, the Realm Lord, do as I please. What right do you have to meddle? We are partners... you..."
Feng Tian's eyes were as cold and sharp as swords, and a tangible chill froze Zhang Ruochen, solidifying the blood in his body, preventing him from continuing to speak.
Zhang Ruochen was naturally not afraid of Feng Tian, because he knew that to rapidly improve her cultivation and catch up to Hao Tian and Fengdu Dadi, Feng Tian had to rely on the power of the Earth Cauldron.
This was his confidence, the foundation that allowed him to speak to Feng Tian on equal terms.
Especially now that his cultivation had reached the Infinite Realm, his confidence was even greater.
Tian Shengjun, suppressed under the Blood Leaf Sycamore, was stunned. Was Zhang Ruochen always this brave? Did young cultivators nowadays all have such backbone? Even he didn't dare to call the Death God Venerable by her name, let alone speak so forcefully.
Zhang Ruochen instantly refined the chill within him, calmed his mind, and considered his options. He said, "If Lady Feng Tian is willing to act and bring Qiangu Nüdi here, I will not only refine Tian Shengjun for you but also give you, Elder, an Infinite-level being."
Feng Tian was too lazy to speak, her gaze ruthless and arrogant.
Zhang Ruochen added, "Tai Shang has shown me great kindness. I cannot stand by and watch his granddaughter fall in the Night Soil. If Lady Feng Tian doesn't agree..."
"Mu Lingxi is cultivating in the Death God Palace, and Zhang Ling and Bore are also in the Destiny Temple."
Feng Tian looked at Zhang Ruochen, as if warning him not to threaten her, as she also had leverage.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's eyes gradually deepen and turn cold, Feng Tian realized he might truly be angered. She said, "With Yu Linsheng from Starry Sky Cliff there, she won't die. Don't get involved in the Night Soil matter."
So the Starry Sea Angler had also come!
Zhang Ruochen breathed a sigh of relief, understanding many things. No wonder Shi Tian hadn't acted against them; it seemed the Starry Sea Angler had stopped him!
These old antiques, all hiding in the shadows, watching a group of juniors fight among themselves—what exactly were they planning?
It seemed the thing suppressed beneath the Night Soil was more terrifying than he had imagined.
Was Feng Tian afraid he would die in the Night Soil, which was why she insisted on stopping him?
Zhang Ruochen looked at the woman before him, who was as beautiful as an immortal, and felt even less fear. He smiled and asked, "What exactly is suppressed beneath the Night Soil? Is that why you all came in person?"
"You'll know when it's time for you to know."
On Feng Tian's pale palm, the Celestial Pivot Needle trembled, slowly rotating, pointing to a certain direction in the Void World.
She muttered to herself, "He's here too! Zhang Ruochen, don't refine that centipede for now. How much Divine Qi do you have left?"
With his Wuji Divine Dao, Zhang Ruochen could continuously absorb the energy of heaven and earth to replenish his consumption. Therefore, despite the successive battles, the Divine Qi in his body was still abundant, at its peak.
Zhang Ruochen naturally wouldn't tell Feng Tian the truth. He said, "After successive battles, my Divine Qi has been severely depleted. I probably have about fifty percent left."
Feng Tian took out the Heaven Cauldron and threw it to him, saying, "Pour all the Divine Qi in your body into the Heaven Cauldron."
"If my Divine Qi is depleted, I will fall into an extremely weakened state. At that time..." Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Tian said, "With me protecting you, what are you afraid of?"
That was exactly what he was waiting for.
Zhang Ruochen held the Heaven Cauldron with both hands, and the Divine Qi in his body turned into two chaotic long rivers, continuously flowing into the cauldron, stored within.
He thought to himself, realizing that with his Four Symbols perfected and his cultivation advanced, Feng Tian could no longer see through him completely as before, allowing him to hide some secrets.
He also realized that the upcoming events were something even Feng Tian wasn't confident in handling.
That was why she had prepared the Heaven Cauldron as a tactic, though he didn't know who it was meant to deal with.
Tian Shengjun spoke again, secretly transmitting to Feng Tian: "I am under Jiusi Yitianhuang, a deity of the Darkness Temple. Please, Lady Feng Tian, for the sake of Emperor of the Strange Heaven, spare my life."
"The Emperor of the Strange Heaven has quite a long reach."
Feng Tian added, "You ask the Death God Venerable for mercy? Do you think the word 'Death' is just for show?"
Tian Shengjun's anger surged within him. Feng Tian was clearly treating him differently. Zhang Ruochen had offended her so much, yet she hadn't mentioned the word "Death."
Was his value, along with that of the Red Centipede Clan, less than Zhang Ruochen's?
"Boom!"
Tian Shengjun released a surging divine force from within his body, along with a large number of Rule Divine Marks belonging to Hundred Leg Great Emperor, tearing the roots of the Blood Leaf Sycamore to pieces.
Feng Tian didn't even bother to look at him. The Red Dye Tower flew out, forcibly taking him inside, temporarily suppressing him.
The Red Dye Tower flew up, hanging on the branch of the Blood Leaf Sycamore like a divine lamp.
In her eyes, Tian Shengjun, who had devoured the flesh and blood of Hundred Leg Great Emperor, was a great medicinal herb. Once refined into a divine pill using the Earth Cauldron, it would be worth tens of thousands of years of her cultivation.
Therefore, whether Tian Shengjun had offended her or not, and regardless of who was behind him, he had to die.
"Whoosh!"
A Gate of Destiny appeared before Feng Tian.
On the glowing gate, the scene within the Night Soil was revealed.
The Hundred Leg Emperor Mausoleum was magnificent and grand, with continuous mountain ranges, but now it was riddled with holes, and countless formations were collapsing. The earth around the mausoleum was also covered with cracks tens of thousands of miles long.
Wu Dao was fleeing at top speed with the deities of the Red Centipede Clan. The Phoenix Clan Chief was with him!
Qiangu Nüdi was nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Ruochen, holding the Heaven Cauldron with both hands, couldn't help but look at the Gate of Destiny, shocked. The entire Night Soil was about to collapse!
Not only was the Hundred Leg Emperor Mausoleum being destroyed, but the Heavenly Fox Tomb Realm, Dragon Ruins, Phoenix Funeral Hall... all were collapsing. Countless divine formations emitted dazzling light, but in an instant, they dimmed, crushed by the peaks rising from beneath the Night Soil.
The deities of the six clans guarding the Night Soil were all fleeing for their lives.
The entire Extinction Star Sea, and even the Void World, were shaking. The terrifying energy made even God Kings and God Venerables tremble.
Feng Tian's gaze locked onto the tombs of ancient great emperors like the Heavenly Fox Tomb Realm, Dragon Ruins, and Phoenix Funeral Hall, calculating something in her mind.
Feeling Zhang Ruochen looking at her, she stared back and said, "Are you done?"
Zhang Ruochen's face was pale, his body weak, as if he had been drained dry. He said, "I have poured all the Divine Qi in my body into the Heaven Cauldron."
Feng Tian used her divine Qi to take the Heaven Cauldron, then tore open space with a finger.
She stepped forward, and a Gate of Death, millions of miles high, appeared behind her. She descended powerfully into the Night Soil, her voice echoing back to Zhang Ruochen's ears: "The Blood Leaf Sycamore will take you to a safe place."
The space closed.
"Realm Lord Ruochen, follow me!"
The voice of the Blood Leaf Sycamore was somewhat similar to Feng Tian's, pleasant yet cold. Dense blood mist surged from between its branches and leaves, wrapping around Zhang Ruochen as it flew rapidly into the distance.
Zhang Ruochen was naturally not truly weakened. He sat on the tree roots, looked at the Red Dye Tower hanging from the branches, and said, "Return to the Real World. I need to recover my cultivation as soon as possible to help Lady Feng Tian refine Tian Shengjun."
The Blood Leaf Sycamore flew through the Void World for an hour, covering who knows how many billions of miles, before rushing out of the void and entering the Real World.
Upon arriving in the Real World, Zhang Ruochen immediately stood up and looked toward the starry sky where the Night Soil was located.
With a slight calculation, he found that this position was hundreds of billions of miles away from the Night Soil.
The area where the Night Soil was located was shrouded in brilliant divine light. Space was collapsing, the River of Time was manifesting, and various Heavenly and Earthly Rules were being drawn by the Profound Meaning, frantically surging toward that place.
The fluctuations of divine power were extremely intense, destroying many stars in the Extinction Star Sea, turning countless living beings into dust.
Even standing hundreds of billions of miles away, Zhang Ruochen still felt a strong sense of danger.
The Blood Leaf Sycamore clearly felt the same, continuing to fly into the distance.
"Feng Tian, Shi Tian, Starry Sea Angler, Qiangshake, and another force."
Zhang Ruochen felt a chill down his spine. In this border universe, far from the disputes of the Heavenly Court and Hell, five Indestructible Infinite-level beings had suddenly appeared, locked in battle.
Were they going to destroy the entire Extinction Star Sea?
The Blood Leaf Sycamore flew past a main star, and Zhang Ruochen released his divine consciousness to probe, discovering that this main star belonged to the Night Demon Phoenix Clan.
On the planet, a sacred city-level demon city was built, with traces of deities.
But this main star was being pulled by an invisible, powerful force, rapidly flying toward the Night Soil.
Not just this main star, but countless stars in the entire Extinction Star Sea were moving rapidly, approaching the Night Soil.
Such power was too astonishing, completely beyond Zhang Ruochen's imagination. He was shocked: "Could Stone Axe Lord's speculation be true? Are all the planets in the Extinction Star Sea part of the body of that taboo existence in the Night Soil?"
Zhang Ruochen didn't bother to think further. In such a level of confrontation, the farther he could stay away, the better.
"Whoosh!"
On the main star of the Night Demon Phoenix Clan, a pair of flaming wings unfolded, growing larger and larger, reaching eighty million miles in length, wrapping around the main star.
It was the Phoenix Clan Chief. She had taken the main star into her Divine Realm World.
The Phoenix Clan Chief saw Zhang Ruochen standing under the Blood Leaf Sycamore and heard Tian Shengjun's voice calling for help in her ear, but she didn't act. She immediately fled into the distance.
Carrying a main star and billions of living beings on her body, she would be restrained in any fight with Zhang Ruochen. If she made the slightest mistake, all the living beings on the entire main star would be annihilated.
In fact, she was more worried that Zhang Ruochen would attack her!
Zhang Ruochen didn't act. He watched her fly away, then let out a soft exclamation, turning his gaze to another direction in the starry sky.
He saw, in a star field hundreds of millions of miles away, Huang Tian was chasing Xuan Yi. Both were severely injured.
One fled, one pursued, like two shooting stars.
How could Zhang Ruochen allow Xuan Yi to escape? He stopped hiding, raised his hand, and a scorching, bright divine sword floated up.
The next moment, the One-Word Sword Dao erupted. The divine sword shot forward, continuously piercing through space, appearing and disappearing like a skipping stone.
In no time, the divine sword crossed hundreds of millions of miles of void, striking Xuan Yi, who was fleeing, piercing through his chest.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen stepped on the Ancestor Boots, his figure disappearing from under the Blood Leaf Sycamore as he rushed over in person.