Chapter 3526: Coercing the World to Command All Living Beings
It had to be said, the Heavenly Venerable’s methods were truly extraordinary.
This scheme was an unsolvable move, inevitably creating a rift between Zhang Ruochen, the Sword Realm behind him, and Hao Tian.
Nie Zang Venerable, who had been pretending to sleep, finally opened his eyes a crack and said, “Divine Lord Ruochen, just listen and don’t investigate. Hao Tian is, after all, the number one expert of this era. Since he deliberately concealed the identity of Xuanyuan Lian’s birth mother, anyone who dares to dig up that secret will face unpredictable consequences.”
Clearly, Nie Zang Venerable’s impression of Zhang Ruochen had greatly improved, prompting him to offer such a warning.
Zhang Ruochen cast a grateful glance and nodded solemnly. “Thank you for the reminder, Heavenly Venerable and Venerable. I will remember it.”
His gratitude stemmed from recognizing that Nie Zang Venerable genuinely meant well for him.
After all, no one knew if this was a trap set by Renhuan Heavenly Venerable.
If Zhang Ruochen were to inform the old fellows behind the Sword Realm about this matter, it could very well trigger a massive earthquake within the Heavenly Court.
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable said, “Every top-tier expert in this world carries hidden secrets unknown to others. Especially in this era, the rules of heaven and earth have changed. Ancient powerhouses descend in various ways, stirring chaos across the realm. Who is a pretender? Even we find it hard to distinguish.”
“Just now, I and Nie Zang Venerable were discussing the impact of these changes in the rules of heaven and earth. Divine Lord Ruochen might as well listen.”
“The most direct effect of the changing rules is that it has become easier for cultivators to cross the Divine Tribulation and break through to the Boundless realm!”
“According to intelligence gathered by the Yama Clan over the years, compared to ten eons ago, the success rate of crossing the Divine Tribulation has increased by about two times. Especially in the last hundred thousand years, the success rate has accelerated even further.”
“The difficulty for Tai Xu Great Gods to break through to the Boundless realm has also decreased significantly.”
With a wave of his hand, Renhuan Heavenly Venerable summoned countless divine texts, manifesting them in the hall.
Each divine text contained vast information, covering data from ten eons ago to the present, including details on hundreds of millions of Saint realm genius cultivators and their subsequent realm achievements.
Zhang Ruochen carefully analyzed this information and asked in confusion, “Are the rules of heaven and earth becoming more active?”
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable replied, “No, they are weakening. The constraints of the rules on cultivators are loosening, making it easier to cross the Divine Tribulation and allowing ancient powerhouses who shouldn’t exist in the real world to descend.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “If so, wouldn’t the number of gods in the universe increase? If heaven and earth intend to bring down a calamity, shouldn’t they restrict cultivators from breaking through to godhood?”
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable shook his head. “The universe is like a pond, and all living beings are fish. The water and food in the pond are limited. When the number of big fish suddenly increases, they lack food and can only eat the small fish. Once the small fish are gone, they lose the ability to reproduce. To survive, the big fish must fight among themselves. In the end, the pond becomes a bloody mess!”
“Heaven and earth seek balance. A sudden explosive growth of gods, with limited resources, is not a good thing.”
“The main reason I advocate war is that the Yama Clan’s gods have increased, but internal resources are insufficient. We must expand outward—or rather, plunder. If we don’t expand, fierce resource competition will erupt within the Yama Clan, leading to escalating conflicts and eventually civil war. As the clan leader, I absolutely cannot allow that.”
Zhang Ruochen could somewhat empathize with Renhuan Heavenly Venerable’s helplessness.
As a clan leader, he couldn’t suppress his clan members from becoming gods.
But with more gods, resource distribution would inevitably create countless conflicts, leading to struggles and conspiracies. Eventually, hatred and contradictions would escalate, tearing the supreme clan apart.
This situation wasn’t unique to the Yama Clan.
Once it became a universal phenomenon across the universe, war would only be a matter of time.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen began to admire Renhuan Heavenly Venerable. Unlike warmongers who cloaked their motives in lofty ideals, he openly admitted that the Yama Clan’s goal was plunder, without resorting to grand justifications like maintaining cosmic balance.
Those who reached the pinnacle of the world indeed possessed extraordinary qualities.
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Does the Heavenly Venerable know why the rules of heaven and earth suddenly weakened?”
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable looked at a nearby glazed Buddha lamp.
He inhaled, exhaled, and blew out the flame.
He said, “It’s like blowing out a candle. First, you must inhale, then exhale. Then, the lamp goes out.”
Zhang Ruochen understood completely. “So now is the time when heaven and earth are inhaling?”
Nie Zang Venerable sighed. “That’s why the world’s powerhouses are certain that a calamity is approaching. The calamity I speak of is the Great Destruction Calamity that occurs once every fifty thousand eons—worlds collapse, all things are destroyed, and then heaven and earth are reshaped.”
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable said, “Actually, that’s not what I’m most worried about. If heaven truly intends to bring down a calamity, human power cannot resist it. What’s death? But what if the calamity has consciousness?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Does the Heavenly Venerable believe heaven and earth have consciousness?”
“Heaven and earth have no intent; fate determines life and death. Fate is the consciousness of heaven and earth!” Renhuan Heavenly Venerable’s eyes turned cold and sharp.
Zhang Ruochen pondered these words. Was Renhuan Heavenly Venerable hinting that the Destiny Temple also had major problems?
Or… was it an old trick, meant to drive a wedge between him and the Destiny Temple?
Renhuan Heavenly Venerable continued, “What I fear is that there are those in the world who steal the way of heaven, coercing the world to command all living beings. They allow so many cultivators to break through to godhood only to harvest them in the end, seeking eternal life and immortality.”
Steal the way of heaven?
Coerce the world to command all living beings?
Not just Zhang Ruochen, but even Nie Zang Venerable was hearing such a shocking speculation for the first time. It concealed immense terror, leaving no one’s heart at peace.
By the time Zhang Ruochen recovered from his shock, Renhuan Heavenly Venerable had already reached the entrance of the Kongming Hall. He turned back and said, “Ruochen, the words spoken today are not only from the Heavenly Venerable of the Hell Realm but also a reminder from the elders of Zhexian and Ying’er. The path of cultivation is treacherous. Even with your Heart of Truth, it may be hard to discern the dangers of human hearts and the evils of the world. I only ask that you never forget your original vision and your most sincere emotions. As the clan leader of the Yama Clan, I carry a heavy burden and cannot afford to lose anything. But you must have the resolve to break through all decay and danger. The Sword Realm needs a new atmosphere!”
Whether sincere or strategic, Zhang Ruochen immediately stood up and clasped his fists with utmost sincerity, bowing in respect.
Because Renhuan Heavenly Venerable’s words had given him a brand-new understanding of the world’s situation.
It was like being a piece on a chessboard, suddenly pulled out to stand by the board and observe the players’ moves. How to participate in the game was now up to Zhang Ruochen himself.
When Zhang Ruochen looked up, Renhuan Heavenly Venerable and Mitian War God had already vanished outside the hall.
“Renhuan Heavenly Venerable is usually cold and taciturn. Today, he truly treated you as a hegemon or a proud descendant of the clan. Every word he spoke could shake the world if leaked. Reflect on it yourself. But of course, maintain your own judgment.”
Nie Zang Venerable walked past Zhang Ruochen, hands clasped behind his back, his upper body leaning forward heavily.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a long time before deciding to set off immediately for the Abyss of Darkness.
Once he retrieved the Udumbara Flower, he would go into seclusion with full focus, striving to comprehend the next transformation of the Four Symbols as quickly as possible.
To cope with the increasingly chaotic and unpredictable cosmic situation, he needed at least the cultivation of a Heavenly Lord level.
From today onward, he would become a chess player stirring the world’s trends, laying out his desired future for the universe. Never again would he be controlled by anyone, nor would he yield to anyone’s will.
But before he could even leave the White Clothes Valley, he was jolted back to reality by Feng Tian, who approached him head-on.
“I was looking for you. Come with me.”
Feng Tian had clearly just returned to the White Clothes Valley. Her white robes were still stained with blood, and the killing intent in her eyes had not fully subsided.
Affected by her aura, even the sky above her head turned blood-red.
This momentum startled the gods who had come to visit the White Clothes Valley, all of whom rushed out.
But they were all intimidated by the sharp and terrifying killing intent, afraid their divine souls couldn’t withstand it, so no one dared to approach and pay respects.
Zhang Ruochen was unaffected by Feng Tian’s killing intent and said firmly, “I have urgent matters to attend to!”
“No matter how urgent, it can wait.”
Feng Tian’s eyes carried an unyielding will. Suddenly, she fixed her gaze on four gods standing beneath a temple in the distance, who were communicating through divine sound.
“Boom!”
One of the gods screamed, his divine body exploding into a cloud of blood mist.
The remaining three gods immediately fell silent, their spiritual will crushed by the killing intent, their legs trembling as if about to kneel.
The slain god had naturally not dared to offend Feng Tian. He had merely transmitted a message to the others: “Zhang Ruochen is indeed as bold as the legends say, daring to defy Feng Tian’s will. Where does he get the courage? Does he really think Heavenly Mother and Nutian Shenzun are his backing…”
Before he could finish, Feng Tian killed him with a single glance.
The remaining three gods had no idea what the slain god had done wrong or why he deserved death. At that moment, they severed their inner thoughts, entering a state of emptiness, afraid that any stray thought might be perceived by Feng Tian.
Feng Tian then looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, “You are a Divine Lord of this era. Being openly insulted without retaliating—I killed him for you. What do you think? Let’s go. To the Abyss of Darkness.”
Zhang Ruochen naturally understood that Feng Tian’s action was a warning to others.
But someone like him, who had been through so much, wouldn’t be intimidated by such tactics. He wasn’t afraid of Feng Tian making a move against him.
At least in the White Clothes Valley, Feng Tian couldn’t touch him.
But when he heard she was heading to the Abyss of Darkness, the corners of his mouth lifted. He smiled and said, “Thank you, Feng Tian, for taking action! But he didn’t deserve death. Though he insulted me, he did so in defense of you!”
“Are you saying I killed an innocent?” Feng Tian asked.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “I think Feng Tian’s actions will chill the hearts of the gods who believe in fate.”
“I don’t need you to teach me how to do things.”
Feng Tian turned around, her white robes fluttering as she walked out of the White Clothes Valley. Her voice, carrying infinite coldness, reached the ears of the three gods: “Take care of his affairs. His blood energy is yours. If you dare to spread a single word of what you saw and heard today, you know the consequences.”
By the time Zhang Ruochen chased after her out of the White Clothes Valley, the three gods beneath the temple were already kneeling in neat rows, their faces pale, their spirits shattered by Feng Tian’s will.
Zhang Ruochen had been worried about how to avoid Jiusi Yitianhuang, who was stationed at the Darkness Temple, on his way to the Abyss of Darkness. Traveling with Feng Tian would solve that problem.
…
Stepping out of the Kongming Realm into the cosmic void, Feng Tian suddenly spoke. “Do you think that god didn’t deserve to die?”
She tossed a divine source to Zhang Ruochen.
It was the one from the god she had killed.
Zhang Ruochen caught it and examined it carefully, narrowing his eyes. “Even if he cultivated the Way of Light, that doesn’t prove he was a spy for the Heavenly Court, does it?”
“He came to the White Clothes Valley to gather concrete information about Nutian Shenzun. But he was too arrogant, daring to come under the nose of an Indestructible Infinite. With my current mastery of fate, I can see through his past at a glance, including his past and present lives.” Feng Tian’s eyes were still sharp as a blade, cold and unyielding.
In terms of the Way of Fate, Feng Tian was undoubtedly the number one in the world. Seeing through the past of a Butian realm god with a single glance was likely not an exaggeration.
The past was one of the twelve phases of fate.
But what did she mean by adding “including his past and present lives”?
Just as Zhang Ruochen’s heart grew uneasy, Feng Tian spoke again. “Do you want to cultivate the Way of Fate? I can be your guide, leading you to glimpse the true essence of fate.”
(End of Chapter)