Chapter 3528: Crimson Yin Realm
Zhang Ruochen's alchemy mastery far surpassed his past self. Using the Earth Cauldron, he no longer merely refined divine substances back into source light particles and recondensed them into pill form. Now, he could refine them multiple times, even inscribe pill patterns. The divine pills he produced were fewer in number, but their quality was more than ten times better than before.
Zhang Ruochen fell into thought.
What he had done earlier was indeed reckless, but at least it confirmed the suspicion in his heart—Feng Tian was indeed somewhat problematic.
Could it really be as the outside world rumored?
The Zhang Ruochen of today was no longer the emotionally dull youth of the past. On the contrary, he was extremely sensitive to matters of love between men and women.
Just like with Jue Miao Chan Nu and Feng Xi—he had sensed it, so he chose to immediately distance himself.
Feng Tian killed without blinking, striking down even gods with a wave of her hand. Ordinary Divine Kings and Divine Venerables trembled at the sight of her. Cold-blooded, domineering, ruthless—she was synonymous with death, tolerating no offense from anyone, and she harbored grand visions and ideals.
Yet, it was precisely this person who was extremely lenient toward Zhang Ruochen.
Not only had she saved him multiple times, but she had also granted him many benefits. Even just now, because Zhang Ruochen had said, "He doesn't deserve death," she had actually explained herself!
She had actually explained herself!
Did Feng Tian need to explain such a meaningless matter to a man whose cultivation was far inferior to her own?
This had completely surpassed the attitude one would have toward a collaborator!
It was precisely because of this that Zhang Ruochen had risked testing her.
Even if he guessed wrong, Feng Tian would absolutely never kill him.
The more Zhang Ruochen thought about it, the more something felt off. The expression on his face turned strange. What was this supposed to mean?
In the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, when he encountered Lei Zu, Feng Tian had saved him.
In the Huanmie Star Sea, when he encountered Kui Liang Huang, Feng Tian had been the first to arrive.
In the Destiny Temple, because of Feng Tian, he had gained many benefits. On the surface, it seemed he had been under house arrest for a thousand years, reduced to Feng Tian's personal alchemist, but his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he could freely enter and leave the Tianshou Platform.
What was this?
Without realizing it, had he become "the pretty boy by Feng Tian's side"?
Zhang Ruochen's divine sense was extremely broad. He had long heard this title being spread outside, and naturally, he could not accept it. He was the Lord of the Sword Realm, a chess player of the universe. He absolutely refused to let the world see him this way.
It was too outrageous!
He and Feng Tian were merely allies, bound by mutual benefit, each taking what they needed.
"No wonder so many people advised me not to get too close to Feng Tian. It seems there really would be problems. I hope Feng Tian's interest lies in the Earth Cauldron!"
Zhang Ruochen's mood was complicated.
Just now, when Feng Tian struck him with her death divine ability, he could actually feel a bit more relaxed and at ease.
For now, sorting out matters with Chi Yao, Wu Yue, Ji Fanxin, Bai Qinger, Luo Sha, Bore... these women who all had strong opinions of their own was already a highly challenging task.
Feng Tian was beautiful, yes, but Zhang Ruochen felt he could not afford to enjoy her. He did not want to follow in the footsteps of the Great Venerable.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, quickly calming his mind. Then, he took out the Bagua Compass he had seized from Wuji Tianhuang, released the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram, and began to deduce and comprehend.
Cultivation could calm all distracting thoughts.
Only with great power could he shake off the title of "the pretty boy by Feng Tian's side."
When he was attacked by Kui Liang Huang's spiritual power, based on the *Hetu* and *Luoshu*, Zhang Ruochen had found a possibility for the next evolution of the Four Symbols.
The *Hetu* contained fifty-five numbers, the numbers of heaven and earth—twenty-five yang numbers and thirty yin numbers.
The *Luoshu* contained forty-five numbers, capable of evolving the myriad stars and phenomena of the universe, arranged in the form of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
When the *Hetu* and *Luoshu* overlapped, they both divided into four directions and a center. It was at this point that Zhang Ruochen found the weakest point in his cultivation: the Four Symbols had already appeared, but the center had not yet formed.
Shaoyang "Divine Mountain" was primarily composed of the Sword Dao and the Way of Truth, undoubtedly representing the Metal of the Five Elements.
Shaoyin "Divine Sea" was primarily composed of the Fist Dao and the Way of Origin, representing the Water of the Five Elements.
Taiyin "Jade Tree Ink Moon" was primarily composed of the Way of Time and the Way of Darkness, regarded as the Wood of the Five Elements.
Taiyang "Huanmie Star Sea" was primarily composed of the Way of Space and the Way of Light, regarded as the Fire of the Five Elements.
And the center, the self, was undoubtedly the Earth of the Five Elements.
Earth, the mother of all things, bearing virtue and carrying all.
Zhang Ruochen had already refined and absorbed Baicang Blood Earth, and he harbored the vision of "embracing all phenomena." Everything seemed to have been destined in the unseen.
Zhang Ruochen did not know what the next change of the Four Symbols would be, but he was certain that his next step must be to cultivate the Five Elements, with a focus on the Way of Earth of the Five Elements. It would be best to cultivate his own Divine Realm World.
Use the Divine Realm World to bear the Four Symbols.
Previously, Zhang Ruochen had believed that the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram was his Divine Realm World, and that he could evolve various forms of Divine Realm Worlds at will. But now it seemed that some cultivation laws were inescapable.
Time passed.
Feng Tian, dressed in white like snow, wore a veil as thin as mist and smoke. The killing intent and coldness on her body had all converged and disappeared, like an orchid in an empty valley. She walked softly and slowly from the bow of the ship to the stern, her long hair swaying like willow branches.
She stopped, fixed her gaze on Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.
The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram hovered above his head, the space around him distorted. Inside, yellow mist was hazy, and countless Earth-element rules interwove, like a nascent world, chaotic and mixed, with clear and turbid not yet separated.
"Hua!"
In an instant, all the rules converged back into his body.
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and looked at her.
Feng Tian's gaze was as calm as still water. "I know why you did that earlier. I did not kill you because you still have use, but there will be no next time!"
Zhang Ruochen instinctively wanted to put some distance between them. He stood up, met her gaze, and there was a hint of confrontation in his momentum. "Feng Tian would be better off spending this time thinking about how to deal with Jiusi Yitianhuang and Gai Mie. Crimson Yin Realm has arrived. I need to go there."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, tore open space, and flew straight into it.
He was that carefree, carrying the bearing of a universe-level powerhouse.
"Shua!"
Feng Tian's gaze instantly turned cold, freezing the entire White Bone Divine Ship. Then, she transformed into a white light, moved sideways, caught up to Zhang Ruochen, and struck him in the back with a palm.
"Hong long!"
In the sky above Crimson Yin Realm, a hole was torn open in space.
Zhang Ruochen fell straight down from the hole, crashing into the ground. The earth within a radius of one hundred thousand miles shook violently.
Feng Tian looked like a celestial maiden descending, yet she was fiercely aggressive. She drifted down, stood at the edge of the large crater, and looked around. "Anyone who doesn't want to die, get lost!"
Those cultivators who had come to investigate fled as fast as they had arrived.
Zhang Ruochen knew that his earlier words had angered Feng Tian. She had finally lost her temper!
As an ally, as someone who could sit on equal footing with a Heavenly Venerable, couldn't he even say such a thing?
Zhang Ruochen re-fused his five viscera and six bowels, struck the ground with a palm, and shot up into the sky, landing on the opposite side of the crater, facing Feng Tian.
At this moment, it was as if space itself had frozen.
Zhang Ruochen spoke first, his gaze unprecedentedly cold. "Can Feng Tian tell me why she struck me so viciously for no reason?"
Feng Tian naturally would not tell him that she had simply been overcome by emotion and couldn't suppress it.
But seeing Zhang Ruochen's expression so serious, as if the two were about to break ties immediately, Feng Tian ultimately chose not to take the hardest stance. She turned and walked away, waving her sleeve. "Figure it out yourself!"
After saying this, Feng Tian couldn't help herself. A hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.
For some reason, she felt that Zhang Ruochen's demeanor just now carried a heroic spirit that even she found oppressive, but the words he spoke made her want to laugh.
Realizing this, she quickly returned to her cold and frosty appearance.
Zhang Ruochen only wanted to have an equal dialogue with Feng Tian from now on, to gain enough say and autonomy. How could he have expected Feng Tian to react so strongly? She had struck him with a palm!
What was even more frustrating was that after hitting him, Feng Tian told him to figure it out himself.
It was as if she were saying, "Do I need a reason to hit you? Find a reason to convince yourself."
"As expected, cultivation and power are the true voice."
Zhang Ruochen wanted to strike back and fight Feng Tian.
But Feng Tian had taken a step back first and simply walked away, causing the anger that Zhang Ruochen had built up to instantly subside. He couldn't help but wonder if he had indeed been too extreme in some way. Should he not have touched her lips?
Or perhaps, he should not have been so tough so early?
Was his current cultivation still insufficient to speak with her on equal footing?
A woman's heart was too difficult to fathom.
When Zhang Ruochen was cultivating in the Destiny Temple, he had sent word through the Goddess Twelve Pavilions for Cang Jue to wait for him in Crimson Yin Realm.
To go to the Abyss of Darkness, Cang Jue was an excellent guide, saving him many troubles.
And all of this had clearly not escaped Feng Tian's notice.
Feng Tian arrived first at the meeting place Zhang Ruochen had arranged with Cang Jue: Baishan Mountain, Yin Feng Du.
She did not look at Zhang Ruochen following behind her. "The person you made an appointment with doesn't seem to have come."
"He will definitely come," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Hua!"
Feng Tian's gaze swept around, then she pointed a finger at the void, stirring up ripples.
It was as if time was flowing backward. The scenes of heaven and earth continuously transformed, and the tides of the Santu River rapidly receded and surged forward.
Moments later, three figures appeared beside Feng Tian and Zhang Ruochen.
They were Cang Jue, Wu Qingzong, and Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
After arriving here, they began to set up a concealment formation, then entered a cultivation state.
A few days later, Wu Qingzong received a message light talisman. The three briefly discussed it, then walked out of the concealment formation and crossed the Santu River.
Feng Tian withdrew her finger, and time and space immediately returned to calm. All the past scenes disappeared.
Zhang Ruochen frowned deeply and muttered to himself, "They left first? What information did they receive?"