Chapter 3509: The Sixth Strongest of the Underworld Clan
Zhang Ruochen sensed an unusual aura and followed Feng Tian's gaze.
Dark, cold, and gloomy, like peering into the Abyss of Darkness, it involuntarily stirred fear of the unknown. At this moment, the Heart of Truth and the Wuji Divine Dao lost their effect, unable to probe further.
Even Feng Tian, who had never regarded anyone in the world with much concern, showed a cautious expression, taking away the Celestial Pivot Needle from the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree.
The artifact spirit, Gong Nanfeng, flew into her palm and merged with the Celestial Pivot Needle.
After a brief calculation, Feng Tian said, "Stay here. Zhang Ruochen, remember to refine the remnants of Sansha Dijun and Qiwa Mu Goddess. If anything unusual happens... leave quickly."
Feng Tian actually said something like this?
Could it be that there was some great terror in that forbidden domain, something even she wasn't confident in suppressing?
Zhang Ruochen said, "The possession bodies of Feima Wang and Cen Jiuyao are right in the Santu River basin. Why not deal with them first? This forbidden domain is quite strange..."
Before he could finish, Feng Tian said, "Are you doubting my strength?"
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree seized the chance to tattle, "He's never taken you seriously, Master."
Feng Tian showed no kindness toward Zhang Ruochen, her face frosty. "Feima Wang sensed the danger and has already fled. With her current cultivation, capturing her would be troublesome and waste a lot of time, potentially delaying important matters."
Without another word, she floated down from the Red Dye Tower and set off alone toward the forbidden domain, unhurried. But after a few steps, she vanished from Zhang Ruochen and the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree's sight.
"Capturing Feima Wang isn't considered important?" Zhang Ruochen muttered.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree glared at him with hostility. "It's all your fault. Master is angry now. Once she pacifies this forbidden domain, see how she deals with you!"
"It's the Yellow Spring Forbidden Domain."
Wu Yue's voice sounded in Zhang Ruochen's ears.
She hadn't dared speak while Feng Tian was present, only now opening her mouth.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood.
The Yellow Spring Forbidden Domain was naturally the burial site of Yellow Spring Great Emperor, the most terrifying forbidden domain on the legendary Santu River.
However, the Yellow Spring Forbidden Domain constantly shifted its location, not something one could find at will.
Yellow Spring Great Emperor was the most renowned Primordial Ancestor of the Ghost Clan throughout history, the only one in Ghost Clan history confirmed to be a Primordial Ancestor.
A figure like that, even after countless years of death, left behind means that could still kill gods.
Just like the tomb of Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, which even the current All Heavens, Five Elements Temple Master, dared not enter. Of course, that was partly due to the Five Elements Temple Master's respect for the Great Venerable.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This is interesting! The Imperial Yellow Spring Flower appeared in Fengdu Ghost City, causing Gai Mie to flee. The Infinite Heavenly Emperor didn't flee anywhere else but came here. I've heard that a Primordial Ancestor's remnant soul appeared in the Santu River basin, killing a Boundless one of the current era."
The answer was almost obvious.
But this answer was too shocking!
A figure as renowned as Yellow Spring Great Emperor in the entire cosmic history actually had a remnant soul left behind, wanting to live a second life in this era?
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree looked at Zhang Ruochen with suspicion, squinting. "Who are you talking to?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled back and began dealing with the remnants of Sansha Dijun and Qiwa Mu Goddess on the ground.
One was a former Twenty Heavens of the Hell Realm, the other a former Twenty Heavens of the Heavenly Court Realm.
Even just Sansha Dijun's head was still very strong, possessing God Venerable-level combat power. But it was sealed by Feng Tian, so Zhang Ruochen easily collected it all into the Earth Cauldron.
Then, Zhang Ruochen arrived at the base of the Red Dye Tower, hearing the roars of the Infinite Heavenly Emperor from within.
After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Ruochen didn't try to break Feng Tian's seal. The Infinite Heavenly Emperor's cultivation was already extremely formidable. After using forbidden arts, his combat power doubled. In that desperate state, Zhang Ruochen would have to avoid his edge.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree retracted the Red Dye Tower, holding it in her palm. "Don't even think about making a move on the Infinite Heavenly Emperor! And hand over that compass!"
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the sky and sighed. "I just wanted to search his soul for information about that forbidden domain ahead. Can you stop being so obstructive?"
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree was truly infuriated, her chest heaving. But she quickly realized Zhang Ruochen's point was very reasonable.
The Infinite Heavenly Emperor definitely knew the secrets of that forbidden domain!
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree shot Zhang Ruochen a cold glare, then moved her ten fingers, opening a corner of the Red Dye Tower's seal.
"Roar!"
The Infinite Heavenly Emperor burst out from the first floor's tower gate. Corpse blood burned within him, forming three-zhang-tall green flames. His fingers grew sharp claws, and he swiped at the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree pointed a finger, striking the claw.
"Whoosh!"
A golden beam flew from the Infinite Heavenly Emperor's brow, and thousands of sword qi erupted.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree immediately raised the Heavenly Canopy Bell to block. "Zhang Ruochen, what are you standing there for? Come help me suppress him and search his soul!"
Zhang Ruochen frowned. "Feng Tian already suppressed him. Why did you let him out again?"
"To search his soul!" the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree shouted.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If we thought of it, wouldn't Feng Tian have? She definitely already searched his soul before heading to the forbidden domain!"
"Why didn't you say so earlier? I see, you did it on purpose. Infuriating! Zhang Ruochen, just wait... one day... I..."
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree quickly channeled divine qi, activating the Red Dye Tower to unleash the sealing power Feng Tian had left, suppressing the Infinite Heavenly Emperor back inside.
Just as the Red Dye Tower's light dimmed, it flew away, landing in Zhang Ruochen's hands.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree had never been toyed with like this. Coldly, she said, "Return the Red Dye Tower!"
Zhang Ruochen examined the tower while shaking his head. "You almost let the Infinite Heavenly Emperor escape just now. I don't feel safe with the Red Dye Tower in your hands."
"Are you returning it or not?"
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree spread her right hand, the Heavenly Canopy Bell spinning rapidly in her palm, emitting dull chimes.
Zhang Ruochen unhurriedly tucked the Red Dye Tower into his sleeve and looked at her. "No."
Before the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree could strike, Zhang Ruochen added, "If you can help Feng Tian refine the Infinite Heavenly Emperor into a divine pill, I'll hand it over. If you can't, don't come begging me when Feng Tian blames you."
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree ground her teeth in frustration but couldn't do anything to this infuriating fellow.
Zhang Ruochen sat down on a black withered bone by the river, took out the compass, and began studying it, his fingers tracing over it.
The compass flickered, sometimes revealing a black-and-white Taiji yin-yang fish diagram, sometimes showing eight glowing divine gates with countless ancient Dao texts floating within them.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree paced back and forth behind him, restless.
She said, "It's been so long. Who knows what's happening in the forbidden domain? Zhang Ruochen, we need to go check. Maybe we can help."
"Not going," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree said, "Feng Tian values you so much, indulges and tolerates you like no other cultivator. And you're this cold?"
"If you want to go, go yourself," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Blood Leaf Parasol Tree raised her fist, gesturing at the back of his head, then finally flicked her sleeve. "Fine, I'll go. You just wait here!"
Zhang Ruochen looked up and saw the Blood Leaf Parasol Tree disappear upstream. He shook his head slightly.
Sure enough, she was a tree, with a head like a block of wood.
After studying a bit more, alertness flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes as he looked toward the wide surface of the Santu River ahead.
Countless specks of light appeared on the turbid, corpse-filled water. Like lotus seeds, they quickly grew petals, radiating rings of nether light.
Soon, nether flowers covered both banks of this Santu River tributary, dazzling and beautiful.
White-clad, white-haired Bai Zun appeared on the water downstream, walking step by step. Her skin was as white as porcelain, eerie. Beneath her white robe, scale-like form-fitting inner armor shimmered with rippling light as she moved.
She said, "Zhang Ruochen, why are you here?"
Zhang Ruochen put away the compass. "Didn't Nine Chi God King tell you?"
"Nine Chi God King? He's here too?"
Confusion flickered in Bai Zun's eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you're not together! If there's nothing important, you'd better leave quickly. It's very unsafe here. As for past matters, since you've already repaid with your clothes, I won't hold a grudge."
Given the current easing of tensions between the Sword Realm and the Hell Realm, Zhang Ruochen didn't want to settle old scores with Nine Chi God King and Bai Zun for now.
But hearing this, Bai Zun exuded bone-chilling cold, freezing thousands of miles of the river.
Bai Zun said, "I think you'd better return that white robe."
That white robe was a defensive treasure, worth more than a Supreme Sacred Artifact.
More importantly, it represented Bai Zun's dignity and face.
Zhang Ruochen looked Bai Zun up and down, wondering where she got the confidence to provoke him. She hadn't even broken through to Qiankun Boundless Peak. How had she gotten so arrogant?
"It's already been given away, to Qiangu Nüdi, also known as Hua Ying Qingchan. You've met her."
Zhang Ruochen urged again, "I don't want to kill Hell Realm cultivators for now. Old grudges can be set aside, settled on the battlefield in the future. You'd better leave. Delay, and I might change my mind!"
"Quite the bold talk! Do you think you can kill Hell Realm cultivators just because you want to?"
A long, deep voice came from beyond the sky.
Haizi Qiu stepped out of the void, space around him like liquid water curtains, a black nether river beneath his feet, exuding an arrogant, world-dominating aura.
Zhang Ruochen recognized the newcomer. The sixth of the Underworld Clan to step into the Great Unbound Infinite realm, second only to Gong Xuanzang, the Nether Hall Master, the Underworld Clan Chief, and others. He bore many titles, such as "The First Beneath the Nether Hall Master" and "The Second War God of the Underworld Clan."
In the Underworld Clan, aside from the transcendent White Clothes Valley, only six had reached Great Unbound Infinite or above.
Calling Haizi Qiu a cosmic-level overlord was no exaggeration.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm. "So someone's backing you. No wonder you're so confident."
Bai Zun said, "Tell me, what happened here? Who were you fighting just now?"
Bai Zun and Haizi Qiu had sensed the fluctuations of a Boundless-level battle and rushed here.
"If you ask in such a condescending tone, I have nothing to say," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Then I'll ask with strength!"
Haizi Qiu spread his arms, his eyes blazing with piercing nether light, a vast nether river surging behind him.
"Boom!"
The nether river cascaded down from midair, its roar like thunder.
Overwhelming divine power shook heaven and earth, surging toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen raised both arms and threw a punch.
Countless forms flew out from his body, then overlapped, all power converging into that single fist.