Chapter 3521: One Battle Concludes
Zhang Ruochen was struck by the destructive force of War God Nether Lord's self-detonating Divine Source, plummeting into the Kongming Realm and crashing into a primeval dense forest, leveling thousands of miles into flat ground.
Mountains collapsed, turning into mounds of earth.
Centered on this region spanning thousands of miles, a defensive perimeter of tens of thousands of miles was covered by terrifying divine power. The Nine-Colored Ancestral Qi, the residual battle aura of War God Nether Lord, Zhang Ruochen's blood... for cultivators below the God Realm, this was absolutely a forbidden zone not to be approached.
These forces might not dissipate even in the next hundred thousand years.
Zhang Ruochen sank ten thousand meters into the earth. Before he could climb out, the Seven-Star Divine Sword was borrowed by Void Heaven.
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to lend it. That old ghost Void wasn't like Heavenly Mother—he wasn't a man of principle and might very well pull some dirty trick of borrowing without returning.
However, despite having various defensive measures protecting him, Zhang Ruochen's Taiyin was on the verge of collapse, and both his physical body and divine soul were severely injured, leaving him unable to stop it.
Void Heaven was absolutely a Sword Dao Lord God, directly using Sword Dao Essence to draw upon the Sword Dao rules of heaven and earth, "borrowing" the Seven-Star Divine Sword away.
Zhang Ruochen crawled out of the earth abyss, sat down on the ground, and looked at the dust filling the sky and the fireballs occasionally streaking across the sky. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and said, "What kind of heavens are these? Don't any of them have a decent battle weapon? They all come to me to borrow... cough, cough..."
"Whoosh!"
Wu Yue flew down, landing on a hundred-meter-high mound of earth and stone that had been pushed up by the great crater not far away. "You won't die, will you?"
"Still okay!"
Zhang Ruochen raised both hands, and the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram manifested above his head.
The Taiyin "Jade Tree Ink Moon" clearly had a major problem.
The Ink Moon had condensed, but the Jade Tree had become quite faint and ethereal.
In truth, this outcome had already far exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
That was War God Nether Lord, with such terrifying cultivation. The Divine Source had exploded right within the Jade Tree Ink Moon, yet Zhang Ruochen's Four Symbols Diagram could still manifest and wasn't destroyed. Such was the mystery of the Wuji Divine Dao!
Existing within heaven and earth, yet not within heaven and earth.
Zhang Ruochen's injuries gradually stabilized. He looked up at Wu Yue and asked, "What's the situation outside the heavens now?"
Wu Yue's gaze was as indifferent as mist and clouds. "Can't you see for yourself?"
"I'm injured quite badly. I don't want to move. You're up there—you handle it!"
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram and lay down on the ground. It seemed he had pulled at his wounds, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I'll never take such risks again. These Heavenly Venerables are all terrifyingly strong and skilled in schemes. Facing such an absolute gap in cultivation, trying to outmaneuver them is harder than reaching the heavens. I almost didn't make it back!"
Suddenly, a warm and gentle power entered Zhang Ruochen's body through his brow, nourishing the deepest wounds of his physical body and divine soul.
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and saw Jue Miao Channa's eyes and nose bridge, so close at hand.
She was like a compassionate Bodhisattva, dressed in a green robe like a lotus leaf, with two jade fingers pressed against his brow.
"Don't move!"
Jue Miao Channa's voice was soft and gentle.
"Hiss!"
Jue Miao Channa lifted her fingers, drawing wisps of black Nether Qi out from Zhang Ruochen's body.
"The Death Nether Qi from War God Nether Lord's self-detonating Divine Source has seeped into your physical body and divine soul. If it isn't drawn out, your injuries will be hard to heal," she said.
Zhang Ruochen no longer had any thought of lying still. He immediately stood up, looking at Jue Miao Channa's somewhat pale yet beautiful face, and couldn't help but feel a pang of concern. "I'm not seriously injured. I just wanted to rest a bit. I could have refined that Death Nether Qi soon enough. Are you hurt?"
"It's nothing. Just a heavy loss of divine soul and blood qi. I'll recover after some time in seclusion. I'll return to White Clothes Valley first."
Jue Miao Channa walked away on the wind, disappearing into the flying dust in moments.
Wu Yue said, "If you want to chase after her, go ahead. You don't need to worry about my feelings."
Zhang Ruochen shot her a glance, wanting to say, "You're a woman without feelings—what feelings would you have? Do you really think you're the first wife?"
But those words were ultimately too hurtful, and he didn't say them.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze gradually grew heavy. He let out a self-deprecating bitter smile. "Didn't you see? From start to finish, her left hand was forming the Meditation Seal. That was her telling me that there is an insurmountable distance between us."
"Separated by so many generations..." Wu Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen said gravely, "Don't bring this up again."
Wu Yue studied Zhang Ruochen carefully.
Seeing him so serious, with such a resolute attitude, he exuded an unprecedented charm that made her ponder deeply.
Wu Yue said, "Void Heaven has arrived, and Feng Tian's aura has also appeared in this star domain. It seems that Fu Lu God Venerable and Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable have no choice but to flee. After all the fighting, it's turned into an internal war within Destiny Temple to clean up its internal troubles."
"This battle, being able to reveal the true identity of Kui Liang Huang, is already the greatest achievement. As for keeping them here... the chances are slim," Zhang Ruochen said.
Wu Yue said, "A spiritual power like Kui Liang Huang's, hidden within Destiny Temple, poses a greater threat to the Hell Realm than three or five Heavenly Venerables combined. An open enemy like Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable is actually easier to deal with."
Zhang Ruochen sighed softly. "Another storm of blood and slaughter. I wonder if Luo Sha and my maternal grandfather will be implicated."
Wu Yue said, "In truth, after this battle, the threat of the Quantity Organization has become very small. That's a great blessing. At the same time, those ancient powerhouses should be able to stay quiet for a while. Earlier, when War God Nether Lord's Divine Source exploded, it annihilated all the ancient powerhouses!"
Zhang Ruochen had long anticipated this outcome.
That was a Great Unbound Infinite self-detonating his Divine Source. How could gods below the Infinite Realm, only a few hundred thousand miles away, possibly withstand it?
Moreover, those ancient powerhouses only had remnant souls, lacking Divine Sources, physical bodies, and Essences. Some didn't even have protective divine artifacts. And they were in the critical moment of attacking the realm-protecting grand formation. By the time they reacted, the destructive force was already upon them.
Of course, the most important point was that War God Nether Lord hadn't self-detonated his Divine Source at that moment.
Rather, he had already self-detonated long ago, but the explosion was sealed within the Four Symbols. And Zhang Ruochen's Four Symbols themselves isolated all heavenly calculations, making it very difficult for them to predict the danger in advance.
This meant that the time they had to sense the danger and react was extremely short.
Without any one of these preconditions, such an outcome would have been impossible.
In fact, such an outcome could never be replicated.
Because the protective talisman that Nutian Shenzun had given Zhang Ruochen had already dissipated! Zhang Ruochen would have to be insane to risk his life again, carrying the Divine Source of some Great Unbound Infinite, to challenge the Heavenly Venerables.
Besides, not just anyone could command a Great Unbound Infinite like War God Nether Lord.
According to Nutian Shenzun's speculation, even Kui Liang Huang likely couldn't force him to self-detonate his Divine Source. There was probably an even more terrifying figure behind the scenes!
Thinking of this, Zhang Ruochen's just-relaxed heart immediately tightened again.
"Boom!"
Nutian Shenzun, dressed in white, descended from the sky, and the unparalleled aura around him rapidly converged.
Zhang Ruochen exchanged a glance with Wu Yue and immediately stepped forward to pay respects.
The combat power Nutian Shenzun had displayed was definitely among the top five in the world. Even the ever-proud Wu Yue felt admiration in her heart.
"Lei Fa has fled into the Void World!"
Nutian Shenzun returned the Kirin Fist Gloves and the recondensed God-Defying Stele to Zhang Ruochen, then added, "That Tai Shang of the Yama Clan and Gong Xuan Zang have pursued him, but it's unlikely to yield any results."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Shenzun is worried about that figure behind the scenes, so you rushed back immediately?"
Nutian Shenzun said, "Jiusi Yitianhuang is tied down at the Darkness Temple by the strange beasts of the Abyss of Darkness, and more than half of the Heavenly Venerables are tied down at the Starry Sky Battlefield. Heavenly Mother must stay at Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm to refine Qiang Sha Ke. The Hell Realm simply lacks the strength to keep Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable here. What's the point of a fruitless pursuit?"
"Why not take this opportunity to flatten the Wuding Divine Sea and destroy the Thunder Clan?" Wu Yue said.
"Unless someone goes to the Heavenly Court to convince Hao Tian to join forces. Otherwise, the moment the Hell Realm moves against the Thunder Clan, the Hell Realm will suffer a rout on the Starry Sky Battlefield."
Nutian Shenzun looked at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and smiled. "For now, keeping the Thunder Clan alive aligns with the Heavenly Court's interests. Besides, I've only met Hao Tian once. As the Lord of the Sword Realm, I don't have that much face yet."
Nutian Shenzun said, "Ruochen, you sell yourself short. After today's battle, who in the world would dare to underestimate you? You can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Venerables!"
"Defeating Fei Ma Wang and severely wounding Kui Liang Huang—such achievements can indeed rival those of the Heavenly Venerables," Wu Yue said very seriously and earnestly.
Zhang Ruochen laughed. "We're all family—don't mock me! How much am I really worth? Who knows better than I do?"
Before the Four Symbols completed their next evolution, Zhang Ruochen didn't want to provoke even a Great Unbound Infinite, let alone the Heavenly Venerables.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen recalled the insight from earlier, when he had been suppressed by Kui Liang Huang's spiritual power and had nearly fallen into an unconscious state. His heart immediately grew eager. He wanted to immediately go into seclusion to study it and comprehend it thoroughly.
This must be the key to the next evolution of the Four Symbols!
A look of appreciation appeared in Nutian Shenzun's eyes. Faced with achievements enough to shake the world, Zhang Ruochen could remain neither arrogant nor impatient, always recognizing himself clearly.
His mind could expand, but also contract.
Very good!
Nutian Shenzun said, "Soon, many gods will come to the Kongming Realm. If they ask, say that I have suffered an incurable severe injury and have entered a death-seclusion."
"An incurable severe injury?" Zhang Ruochen's gaze was filled with great surprise.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Lei Fa has mastered more than fifty percent of the Thunder Dao Essence. Even with the Mani Pearl protecting my body, I still sustained some injuries. The reason I say it's so serious is that I expect Yan Renhuan to come to the Kongming Realm and thrust the position of Heavenly Venerable onto me. I cannot accept that position."
Zhang Ruochen finally understood what it meant to be deeply calculating. Truly, in the cultivation world, those who lived long knew how to hide.
Perhaps this move could also lull enemies like Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable and Kui Liang Huang into complacency.
Wu Yue was moved. "Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable is actually the Thunder Dao Overlord?"
Nutian Shenzun's gaze grew heavy. "That is precisely why I predicted that the pursuit led by the Yama Tai Shang and Gong Xuan Zang would yield no results. If he fully utilizes his Essence, drawing upon endless Thunder Dao rules to transform into the 'Thunder Dao Overlord,' he can be invincible below the Half-Ancestor level. He can even clash head-on with a Half-Ancestor for a short time."
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed drastically. "Then why didn't Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable transform into the Thunder Dao Overlord earlier?"
"Because this star domain is my star domain. The rules of heaven and earth are part of my breath and have long been in affinity with me. Here, I can restrict his ability to mobilize the Thunder Dao rules of heaven and earth, while my own combat power can reach its peak of twelve-tenths."
Nutian Shenzun added, "After all, he is not a Half-Ancestor. To transform into the Thunder Dao Overlord, he might only be able to do so in the Wuding Divine Sea, where he has entrenched himself for many years. In the Wuding Divine Sea, he is invincible!"
(End of chapter)