Chapter 3502: No Calendar in the Mountains, a Thousand Years in the World
Within the Divine Realm World.
Emperor Luo Yan, Zhang Ruochen, and Xue Jue War God each sat in one position, representing the Rakshasa Clan, the Undying Blood Clan, and the Sword Realm. None of the three wore much of a smile, their expressions extremely serious.
Emperor Luo Yan's gaze was cold, as if hiding thousands of blades within. "Just now, I spoke with Feng Tian about the marriage between Ruochen and Luo Sha, hoping to use this as a reason to help Ruochen extricate himself. But her meaning was that Ruochen currently has important matters to attend to and cannot leave Fate Divine Mountain."
Zhang Ruochen was not at all surprised. "Feng Tian cannot let me leave right now."
Emperor Luo Yan was clearly displeased, partly due to Feng Tian and partly due to himself. If Feng Tian had not broken through to Indestructible, with his status as Emperor Luo Yan, would he still be unable to take Zhang Ruochen away?
A single realm's difference created a vast chasm.
Emperor Luo Yan said, "Xue Jue, did Feng Tian ever mention to you the matter of supporting her as Hall Master? How did you respond?"
Xue Jue War God then recounted what he had previously discussed with Zhang Ruochen.
Emperor Luo Yan was puzzled, narrowing his eyes. "If Feng Tian wants to use the Earth Cauldron to achieve a major boost in cultivation, why doesn't Ruochen simply lend it to her and then extricate himself? If you're worried that Feng Tian will borrow it and not return it, then the reasoning would be on your side, and you could fully go to Heavenly Mother to seek justice."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I want to stay at Fate Divine Mountain for a period of time to settle down and comprehend the deeper changes of the Wuji Divine Dao. Moreover, for me now, what place is safer than here?"
Some secrets were not a matter of trust, but simply unnecessary to reveal.
"That is true. Later, I will have Luo Sha pass the 'Gui Cang' to you. By gathering the strengths of various schools, you can go further. However, that girl has already given you her whole heart, and a woman's loyalty turns outward. Perhaps I don't even need to mention it; she will hand it over to you on her own."
Having experienced the Battle of Rakshasa Divine City, Emperor Luo Yan had completely regarded Zhang Ruochen as one of his own. Even though he was now the Lord of the Sword Realm, when discussing racial matters with Xue Jie War God, he still brought him along.
Xue Jue War God proposed, "Why not let him and Luo Sha marry as soon as possible, right here at Fate Divine Mountain?"
Emperor Luo Yan said, "I mentioned this suggestion to Feng Tian, but Feng Tian believes that the current situation in the Hell Realm is sensitive and not yet fully stabilized. If Zhang Ruochen were to marry Luo Sha at this time, it would send a bad signal to the outside world. She also asked me if the Rakshasa Clan intended to join the Sword Realm? So I had no way to insist further."
Xue Jue War God looked at Zhang Ruochen with a teasing expression. "Too much, she's overstepping her bounds."
Emperor Luo Yan said, "I actually think Feng Tian's consideration has merit. The Quantity Organization is still active, the Three Fiend Emperor Lords are provoking openly, the identity of the Quantity Emperor is unclear, the Ghost Clan is turbulent beneath the surface, and the Starry Sky Battlefield, Wuding Divine Sea, and Abyss of Darkness all hide thunderous dangers. The Hell Realm now, with even a slight disturbance, could be exploited by those with ulterior motives. Wait for Heavenly Mother. Once Heavenly Mother has completely refined and killed Qiangshake, there will surely be a world-shaking move."
"Refining and killing a Supreme Pillar is already a world-shaking feat that can be remembered for ages." Xue Jue War God's eyes revealed a look of longing.
A longing for the power to be invincible under heaven.
Emperor Luo Yan said, "If the Heavenly Cauldron is truly in Feng Tian's hands, using it to unify the Destiny Temple would be a good thing for the Hell Realm."
"So, the Rakshasa Clan supports this?" Xue Jue War God was somewhat surprised.
Emperor Luo Yan said, "Wait a little longer. Ruochen is right—wait for the momentum to build, wait for the wind to rise. If a great storm stirs outside, forcing the Destiny Temple to choose a Hall Master, then the time will come. As it stands now, after Feng Tian's Nirvana, her attitude toward the beings of the Lower Three Clans has indeed changed somewhat. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to seek our support."
The general direction was set, and there was no need to hesitate further. Emperor Luo Yan and Xue Jue War God began discussing the major affairs of the world.
Emperor Luo Yan informed them that Qingtian had gone to Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm and then to Rakshasa Divine City, compensating with a massive amount of cultivation resources, and had taken away the Second Master of Tiannan.
Xue Jue War God then informed them that he would next go to the Ghost Clan to hunt the remnant souls of ancient powerhouses and seize this once-in-a-millennium opportunity. The old clan leader had told him that the true target of the ancient powerhouses' remnant souls was likely the forbidden zone on the Santu River.
Zhang Ruochen, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke. "Why do the two of you keep avoiding the topic of the Quantity Emperor?"
Emperor Luo Yan and Xue Jue War God both turned their gazes toward him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The information I have is that the Quantity Emperor is very likely not one of the known eight Heaven Round and Unlacking ones."
Zhang Ruochen felt he had hinted clearly enough.
Xue Jue War God said, "Matters of the Quantity Emperor are for Feng Tian, Void Heaven, Undying War God, and Renhuan Heavenly Venerable to handle. It's not our turn. You should also stay out of it. Stay at Fate Divine Mountain and settle down. You've been cultivating too fast; your foundation is definitely unstable... Hmm, you need more settling. Take solid steps one at a time."
Emperor Luo Yan returned the God-Defying Stele to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen, in turn, took out the Kirin Fist Gloves, Earth Thunder Pearl, Wind Thunder Pearl, and Blunt Void Stone, asking Emperor Luo Yan to help find top-tier divine artifact forging masters to inlay and fuse them. Emperor Luo Yan had a wide network of connections and, having no cultivation pressure, was the best person to entrust with this task.
Indestructible Infinite was not something that could be achieved through cultivation alone, so naturally, there was no cultivation pressure.
Emperor Luo Yan said, "Doesn't the Sword Realm lack top-tier divine artifact forging masters?"
"The situation in the Sword Realm may not be better than in the Hell Realm. There are also great crises there. The Calamity of Quantities is approaching, and the great chaos of the universe is not far off." Zhang Ruochen sighed.
Xue Jue War God stared at the divine artifacts before him. "Then let the great chaos come sooner. I want to change my gear too."
Emperor Luo Yan did not immediately agree to Zhang Ruochen's request. "Reforging divine artifacts is not something ordinary top-tier forging masters can do. It's quite difficult. Moreover, people who are not trustworthy enough cannot be entrusted. What if they take these artifacts and run? I would have to supervise personally."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Ten All-Heaven Divine Pills."
"Add a bit more," Emperor Luo Yan said.
Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth. "Fifteen! My ability is limited. This is truly my final offer."
"Alright, it's settled. Don't blame me for being greedy. It's just that the Rakshasa Clan has suffered heavy losses this time, a severe blow to its vitality. We must quickly cultivate new Divine Kings and Divine Venerables."
Emperor Luo Yan did not hide his triumphant smile as he put away the All-Heaven Divine Pills and several divine artifacts that Zhang Ruochen had handed over.
...
The lifespan of gods spanned eons, and spring and autumn passed like morning and evening.
This year, Fate Divine Mountain was covered in pure white snow, and every divine hall was cloaked in a layer of silver.
The Jingyun Pavilion of the Heavenly Fate Department was the busiest place in the entire Destiny Temple, and indeed in the entire Hell Realm, for intelligence transmission. Every day, message light talismans flew in and out like rain.
Zhang Ruochen had come to the Heavenly Fate Department again, standing in the snow, gazing at the distant Jingyun Pavilion. He sighed inwardly that even without him, great events were still unfolding in the world.
In the universe, no one was special.
This period of tranquility made him feel at ease, yet he also yearned to participate in the world's storms. It could be said that stillness had given rise to restlessness.
Yin-Yang Divine Master, dressed in red robes, walked over with elegance and composure, appearing in her Yin form. "If Chen Divine Venerable is truly a man of his word. A thousand years have just passed, and you have arrived. Have you come to return the diagram?"
Zhang Ruochen took out the jade slab and smiled. "Having borrowed it for a thousand years, I am deeply grateful. I have come specifically to return the diagram."
Yin-Yang Divine Master took the jade slab. "A thousand years of wind and clouds pass in the blink of an eye, and the slaughter of the mortal world never ceases. Is If Chen Divine Venerable accustomed to the tranquility of Fate Divine Mountain?"
"It's fine. This period of cultivation has benefited me greatly," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yin-Yang Divine Master said, "A thousand years outside. In the Past Divine Palace, it should be tens of thousands of years, right?"
"Not that much."
Zhang Ruochen did not wish to say more and was about to take his leave when a sense of alertness arose in his heart. He looked toward the direction of Jingyun Pavilion.
There, dressed in spotless white robes and wearing a veil, Feng Tian walked out of Jingyun Pavilion.
Zhang Ruochen and Yin-Yang Divine Master both bowed respectfully.
"Swish!"
With the wind and snow swirling, flakes of snow slapped onto the faces of Zhang Ruochen and Yin-Yang Divine Master. Their eyes could now see the white skirt of Feng Tian, who was standing right before them.
"If you are unwilling to bow, why force yourself? Hmph," Feng Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen straightened up and looked at her, not harboring the same deep reverence as Yin-Yang Divine Master.
Feng Tian held the jade slab, gazing at it for a moment. "So this is the diagram you have been pondering for a thousand years? Quite interesting. I am now intrigued."
Only then did Yin-Yang Divine Master realize that the jade slab in her hand had disappeared.
Feng Tian did not say she intended to borrow it. She put the jade slab away directly and walked outward. "I will give you a quarter of an hour. Then come to the Death Divine Palace. We are going to the Santu River."
It seemed something major had happened.
Over the past thousand years, Zhang Ruochen had not been entirely focused on cultivation in the Past Divine Palace. He had always kept a close eye on external events. The conflict between the Hell Realm and the ancient powerhouses had spread from the Ghost Clan to the Santu River, then escalated continuously, with the involvement of the Chaos Ancient Demon Gods, and even legends of the remnant soul of an Ancestor appearing.
Zhang Ruochen did not have much to pack. He returned to the Past Divine Palace to retrieve the painting of Lady Shiji, then went to the Great Calamity Palace and Nutian Divine Palace to bid farewell. After that, he visited the Death Divine Palace to pay respects to Feng Tian.
Soon after, Zhang Ruochen and Feng Tian boarded a bone ship and left the Fate Divine Domain.
Feng Tian stood at the bow of the ship, the "River Map" jade slab floating before her as she quietly contemplated it.
Zhang Ruochen could not suppress his curiosity and asked, "What exactly happened that requires such urgency?"
"Excellent diagram! I never noticed its wonders before. Zhang Ruochen, you have rendered another great service. The value of this diagram is not inferior to the Fate Heavenly Scripture. It can be considered a supreme treasure of the hall."
Feng Tian put away the "River Map" and then looked toward the vast starry sky. "Gaimie has escaped."
"How is that possible? Although the World Tree was taken to the Santu River to suppress the turmoil, Fengdu Ghost City is full of experts. To refine and kill Gaimie, the three old Ghost Emperors have all stayed in the city without leaving. How could he possibly escape?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gaimie was one of the Upper Four Pillars, ranked above Qiangshake. Even in his weakest state, Fengdu Dadi had suffered heavy losses to suppress him, with one of the Five Directions Ghost Emperors falling.
"A figure like this escaping poses an indescribable potential threat, like a second Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable," Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Tian said, "That is precisely why I must go to investigate the truth and ensure he does not escape."