Chapter 3504: Two Quantity Emperors Appear Together
Zhang Ruochen's gaze turned solemn. Back then, Feng Yunba's death was closely related to the Yellow Spring Flower. A large number of cultivators from the Wind Clan had nearly all perished at Wu Yue's hands.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The mausoleum of the Yellow Spring Emperor—some cultivators from ancient times have entered it before. That's hardly a secret, is it?"
"The mausoleum of the Yellow Spring Emperor, including the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone, constantly shifts its location. Without great fortune, even a Heaven Round No Gap cultivator would be unable to find it," Hun Qi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Although the Yellow Spring Flower is formidable, how could the three veteran Ghost Emperors be ordinary gods? The poison of the Yellow Spring Flower likely has a negligible effect on them."
"What if it's the Emperor Flower among the Yellow Spring Flowers?"
Hun Qi added, "Legend has it that the Emperor Yellow Spring Flower grows on the coffin of the Yellow Spring Emperor, absorbing the Ancestor's Yin Qi, making it extremely terrifying. It's not just martial gods; even spiritual power gods are greatly affected by it."
"Have you seen it?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Hun Qi shook his head. "The Emperor Yellow Spring Flower was taken by Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi and sealed within the Yellow Spring Seal."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "No, no. With the cultivation levels of the three veteran Ghost Emperors, using poison against them is already impossible. The moment the Yellow Spring Flower's poison is released, they would sense the danger and deduce its source. Where did you say the Emperor Yellow Spring Flower grows?"
"Right in the secret realm where Gai Mie is imprisoned."
After saying this, Hun Qi added, "I know what you're thinking. In fact, I have the same suspicion. The Emperor Yellow Spring Flower must have been hidden by one of the three veteran Ghost Emperors within their own Divine Realm World. Only then could it evade the deductions of the other two Ghost Emperors."
Zhang Ruochen said, "All three veteran Ghost Emperors cultivated martial arts to become gods, right? Whoever hid the Emperor Yellow Spring Flower in their Divine Realm World would be the most poisoned."
"Not necessarily. One of the Ghost Emperors is an exception," Hun Qi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi?"
"Exactly. He went to the Rakshasa Clan and obtained the Yellow Spring Seal. With the Yellow Spring Seal's help, he is immune to the Emperor Yellow Spring Flower. Among the three veteran Ghost Emperors, he was also the least poisoned, quickly refining the toxins in his body and has already gone to pursue Gai Mie!" Hun Qi said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "In your opinion, why would Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi do this?"
Hun Qi said, "Because when the Great Emperor was still alive, he had already beaten Gai Mie into a sea of blood, making it difficult for his flesh and soul to recondense. After a thousand years of refinement, Gai Mie had been weakened to the extreme—so weak that Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi could handle and refine him alone."
"If it were in Fengdu Ghost City, Gai Mie's blood energy and soul would certainly have been divided among the three veteran Ghost Emperors."
"But by letting him escape, one could monopolize him."
"Lord Ruochen Shenzun should be well aware that even the remnant soul of an ancient powerhouse holds value that makes Infinite Realm cultivators salivate, like a divine medicine to boost cultivation. And who is Gai Mie? He is a Supreme Pillar, with his cultivation realm intact, his blood energy vigorous, and his soul containing insights into the Indestructible Realm. He alone is worth more than the remnant souls of dozens of ancient powerhouses combined."
"By monopolizing Gai Mie, Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi could charge into the Indestructible Realm. Such a huge temptation and benefit would make him willing to take any risk!"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Human hearts! Indeed, the strongest fortresses are breached from within. Your story is very well told, but I wonder what significance it has in telling me. You should go tell Feng Tian."
Hun Qi laughed self-deprecatingly. "How could I have the qualifications to see Feng Tian? Besides, Ghost Emperors Ziren and Yang Yun will naturally report this to Feng Tian. Even if I didn't tell you, Feng Tian would inform you."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then why didn't Ghost Emperors Ziren and Yang Yun pursue Gai Mie?"
Hun Qi said, "Before Gai Mie escaped, the entire Santu River suddenly surged, changing its course and rushing straight toward Fengdu Ghost City at the top of the World Tree. It was Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi who used the Yellow Spring Seal to suppress the Santu River back."
"It was when Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi left the Ghost God Hall that Gai Mie broke free and ambushed the poisoned Ghost Emperors Ziren and Yang Yun, severely wounding them."
"Severely injured and deeply poisoned, the two Ghost Emperors naturally couldn't pursue Gai Mie. Everything was within Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi's calculations."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, from beginning to end, it has little to do with Wu Yue?"
Hun Qi shook his head. "If it had nothing to do with her, who caused the Santu River to change? Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi must have had a collaborator, someone whose cultivation wouldn't be too high, so as not to compete with him for Gai Mie. Wu Yue's cultivation level is just right, isn't it?"
"Feng Tian is calling me. Farewell!"
Zhang Ruochen stood up and walked out, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Hun Qi's words seemed somewhat reasonable, but Zhang Ruochen believed the truth was far from simple. Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi was no ordinary figure. If he truly planned to monopolize Gai Mie's cultivation, he would never leave such an obvious flaw.
Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi was not a member of the Quantity Organization. If his goal was merely to charge into the Indestructible Realm, he would care deeply about his reputation among the Ghost Clan.
At the very least, someone of Hun Qi's cultivation level could not see through his scheme.
If he had seen through it, it meant there was something suspicious about it.
Zhang Ruochen reboarded the Bone Ship, which then flew out of Fengdu Ghost City, shattered space, and entered the Void World.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Hun Qi said this was all orchestrated by Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi."
"How could a Great God see through a Ghost Emperor's scheme?"
Feng Tian's eyes held a trace of disdain. "As long as we catch up with Zhou Qi and Gai Mie, the truth will surface."
Zhang Ruochen looked into the dark Void World. "The Void World automatically erases traces. A lot of time has passed, and nothing remains. How do we pursue them?"
"Fate itself is a trace."
Feng Tian pointed a finger forward, and the void space ahead shattered like black mirror fragments, leaving the world in chaos.
"Celestial Pivot Needle!"
As Feng Tian's divine voice resounded, a passage extended from the chaos, breaking the space rules of heaven and earth, connecting to an infinitely distant place.
On both sides of the passage, scenes of the real world appeared, each instant spanning trillions of miles.
Finally, the image froze at the Santu River.
The river water was turbid, corpses floating one after another, the corpse energy hazy.
Blood Leaf Sycamore and Gong Nanfeng, who bore some resemblance to Feng Tian, were tracking a divine ship along the riverbank.
At that moment, Feng Tian's voice crossed time and space, reaching their ears.
The two turned their heads simultaneously, looking through the chaotic passage toward Feng Tian and Zhang Ruochen standing on the Bone Ship in the distant heavens. Whether they could see that far was uncertain, but at least Zhang Ruochen met their gaze.
Feng Tian extended a hand, her five fingers forming a claw, about to reach across time and space to bring Gong Nanfeng over when—
"Boom!"
A divine force struck from the void, shattering the chaotic space passage.
A pair of ghastly green eyes appeared in the darkness of the Void World, located at an extremely distant place, their pupils dark red in the center, looking extremely eerie.
Zhang Ruochen made a quick calculation. This pair of dark green eyes was at least as large as a star.
Feng Tian's white robes fluttered, and the veil on her face was blown away by the wind. Her killing intent instantly peaked. "Three Fiends Lord, you really don't know when to die. Is your escape last time the confidence that allows you to provoke me repeatedly?"
The Gate of Death illuminated the surrounding world, causing darkness and void to retreat simultaneously.
In an instant, the Gate of Death had crossed millions of miles, appearing above the pair of ghastly green eyes, pressing down.
"Boom!"
The Gate of Death was blocked by something, failing to suppress the ghastly green eyes.
The pair of ghastly green eyes rapidly shrank, quickly moving away.
Feng Tian said, "Killing one is killing, killing two is also killing. Qiwada, since you're here, I'll take care of you both at once."
"Whoosh!"
Feng Tian took a step forward, her figure disappearing.
The next moment, she appeared above the Gate of Death, and divine artifacts flew out from her body, some attacking the fleeing ghastly green eyes, others striking a certain direction in the darkness.
Mother Goddess Qiwada was forced out, not in human form but very much like a mantis, her body entirely crimson.
She propped up a sea of divine light, countless rule divine patterns surging within it, blocking the divine artifacts Feng Tian had unleashed.
"Bang!"
Feng Tian spread a pair of phoenix wings behind her, dragging a brilliant stream of light as she passed through the divine artifacts, crashing into the sea of divine light.
Mother Goddess Qiwada's rule divine patterns offered no resistance against Feng Tian's phoenix feathers, being continuously broken.
Just as Feng Tian entered within one divine step of Mother Goddess Qiwada, a dragon scale flew out from Mother Goddess Qiwada's Divine Realm World.
The dragon scale grew to dozens of feet long, like a shield, unleashing the power of a divine artifact and releasing Ancestor inscription patterns.
One scale transformed into ten thousand scales!
"Bang!"
Feng Tian swung Auspiciousness and Fulfillment, breaking Mother Goddess Qiwada's defense in one blow.
Ten thousand dragon scales scattered in all directions.
The next moment, before Zhang Ruochen could see clearly what had happened, Mother Goddess Qiwada had been sent flying by Feng Tian.
"Feng Caiyi, why has your cultivation increased so much... Pfft..."
Mother Goddess Qiwada was struck by a divine artifact again. Her proud physical defense was breached, blood spilling from her body, and she was already injured.
Mother Goddess Qiwada dared not fight Feng Tian head-on anymore. She directly burned her divine blood, rapidly fleeing into the distance, joining up with Three Fiends Lord.
"Boom!"
"Boom, boom!"
...
The three powerhouses fought farther and farther away, disappearing from Zhang Ruochen's line of sight.
"It seems I underestimated Feng Tian's power increase over the past thousand years. Mother Goddess Qiwada and Three Fiends Lord are both former All Heavens. They came prepared to provoke Feng Tian, but even the two of them together are being suppressed by her."
Just as they disappeared from view, Zhang Ruochen clearly saw that Three Fiends Lord also seemed to be injured!
Zhang Ruochen felt that the appearance of Mother Goddess Qiwada and Three Fiends Lord was too strange. Knowing they were outmatched, they still dared to provoke. That could only mean they had another purpose.
"Could it be to lure Feng Tian away, preventing her from pursuing Ghost Emperor Zhou Qi and Gai Mie? Or... is the target me?"
Zhang Ruochen held his breath, quickly abandoned the Bone Ship, activated the Ancestor Divine Travel Cloak, and vanished into the Void World.
(Chapter End)