Chapter 3548: The Chess Player
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, Chaos Ancestor was already at the Indestructible Infinite peak, hailed as the number one figure outside the Great Dark Mountain.
Whether he was the number one in the lower realm was debatable.
After all, the Great Dark Mountain was mysterious, having ruled the lower realm since the Ancient Dark Era, only becoming relatively low-key in the last ten eons.
However, if Chaos Ancestor’s lifespan was already nearly exhausted hundreds of thousands of years ago, and he was still alive now, what level of cultivation had he reached?
Regardless, aside from the Great Dark Mountain, no one in the entire lower realm dared to defy his will.
“By the way, there seems to be an upper realm cultivator named Zhang Ruochen. Bring him along as well.”
Yun Hunxuan did not want to reveal his true purpose, so he casually mentioned Zhang Ruochen.
Yuan Suyin was silent for a long moment before saying, “So the Ancestor is still alive. That’s excellent! We also wish to know the fate of Kong Yinxue. Why not take this opportunity to go to Wujian Ridge together and divide the spoils of that battle?”
The Earth Clan Emperor’s aura was imposing, showing no fear even at the news of Chaos Ancestor’s survival. “Kong Yinxue has been suppressed for so many years; she is likely dead. Back then, our five clans paid a heavy price. It’s time we claim our share.”
The Fire Clan Emperor said, “Since the Ancestor is still alive, Kong Yinxue is surely dead.”
The Wood Clan Emperor was well aware of Chaos Ancestor’s terror, but at this critical juncture, how could he abandon his rightful benefits? So he added, “I have long wished to pay respects to the Ancestor. This time, I should finally get my wish.”
Yun Hunxuan had not expected Yuan Suyin to use Kong Yinxue to rally the other three clan emperors to her side, turning the tables against him.
With the three clan emperors heading to Wujian Ridge together, seizing the Mani Pearl would become extremely troublesome.
What worried Yun Hunxuan even more was whether Yuan Suyin and the others already knew the inner secrets. Otherwise, why would they be so united?
And how had they learned of these secrets?
…
“Eh! The seal is loosening!”
Inside the iron cage, Jie Zunzhe suddenly sat up, a faint divine light flickering at his brow, as if a nine-colored divine lamp were housed within.
Zhang Ruochen had quietly eroded a small portion of Yuan Sheng’s seal. Hearing this, he immediately asked, “A seal cannot loosen for no reason.”
“Indeed. The seal she placed on me is connected to her divine soul. Only if she encounters a powerful enemy and her divine power is severely depleted would the seal show signs of loosening.” Jie Zunzhe’s expression immediately turned worried. “Could Suyin be in danger?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, his expression grave. “Impossible! If the Great Elder were truly in peril, this divine tree ship would have been destroyed first. It wouldn’t be this calm.”
Chi Yao’s eyes were deep as she said, “The only explanation is that something major has happened outside. The Great Elder deliberately wants to let us escape. But for some reason, she cannot do it directly.”
“Then she must be in big trouble! Suyin, if you can hear us, send a message. I am not a coward who would flee alone in the face of danger. No matter how great the peril, we will face it together.”
Jie Zunzhe looked upward and shouted.
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly. Though Jie Zunzhe was fickle in love, his words could always strike a woman’s heart.
Moreover, the old man was not heartless.
He hated trouble and often hid in the Kunlun Realm. Yet, when the Heavenly Fox Grandmother was poisoned with the Three Corpses Corpse Poison, he still risked going to the Starry Sky Defense Line to find a way to cure her.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Chi Yao.
Chi Yao understood and closed her eyes. A faint golden light gradually emerged on her skin.
“Shua!”
A sword light flew from above her head, cutting through the seal.
Immediately, nine-colored chaotic divine light appeared, and layers of heavens manifested above her head.
The Sword Bone and Zangjin Baihu appeared on her left and right.
Zhang Ruochen had long left his Sword Soul and Sword Spirit within the Sword Bone.
Around the Sword Bone, dense white sword-shaped rules emerged, which then turned into a white streak of light, severing the tree roots binding Chi Yao’s wrists.
The white light arced through the void, turned back, and cut the tree roots restraining Zhang Ruochen. Finally, it thrust fiercely toward Zhang Ruochen’s Xuan Embryo.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen’s Xuan Embryo began to shine brighter and brighter.
Under the impact of both internal and external forces, the seal Yuan Sheng had placed inside him was completely broken.
“Boom!”
The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram burst forth from his Xuan Embryo, hovering above his head like a millstone, rotating to block the tree roots coming from all directions.
The moment the seal broke, Yuan Sheng, flying midair, sensed it and immediately wanted to return to the divine tree ship. “Great Elder! Chaos…”
Yuan Suyin cast a meaningful glance at her, cutting her off. “What’s the rush? Chaos Ancestor’s cultivation is indeed unmatched, looking down on past and present. But you are a clan emperor. No matter what level of figure you face, you must remain calm and composed.”
“What does the Great Elder mean by this? She should know I was referring to the upheaval in the Chaos Divine Prison.” Yuan Sheng pondered.
By now, they had entered Wujian Ridge and were heading toward Chaos Mountain.
The divine tree ship and the Yuan Dao Clan beings aboard were left outside Wujian Ridge, unworthy of visiting the Ancestor on Chaos Mountain.
Looking down, the mountains were filled with spatial cracks. Beneath the cracks was an endless, lightless abyss leading to unknown places.
There were also rivers of time, like white divine dragons or mountain streams, weaving through the cracks. The flow of time was erratic—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. In some places, time would freeze for an instant, with all time rules vanishing.
Yun Hunxuan’s white beard fluttered, a smile on his lips. To display the Chaos Clan’s authority, he said, “The Yuan Emperor is still young. Meeting the Ancestor naturally makes her nervous. She still lacks experience.”
A trace of worry flashed deep in Yuan Suyin’s eyes, then she said coldly, “Why don’t you go back and wait on the divine tree ship?”
The smile in Yun Hunxuan’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by suspicion. “The Yuan Emperor will eventually have to stand on her own. She is no longer the little girl she once was. Great Elder, please save her some face in front of the clan emperors.”
Yuan Sheng’s expression darkened. Yun Hunxuan’s words made her, as clan emperor, lose all dignity.
Yuan Suyin said coldly, “Face is earned, not given.”
Yuan Sheng deliberately showed anger and took her leave, as if a rift had formed between her and Yuan Suyin.
Watching Yuan Sheng leave, Yun Hunxuan’s eyes turned sinister. “Great Elder, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable’s two descendants are very important to the Ancestor.”
“They are in my Divine Realm World. What are you worried about? Or perhaps, Yun Emperor has another agenda?” Yuan Suyin said.
Yun Hunxuan smiled without speaking and continued forward.
The other three clan emperors, seeing that Yuan Suyin had visited the Chaos Divine Prison, assumed she had already taken Jie Zunzhe and Zhang Ruochen into her Divine Realm World, so they thought nothing more of it.
…
After breaking the seal, Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao did not immediately break out of the Chaos Divine Prison. Instead, they held hands and jointly activated the Heart of Truth to sense the outside world.
Although the Chaos Divine Prison was a self-contained small world, isolated from all heavenly and earthly rules, it could not block the power of the Heart of Truth.
“Such strange spatial and temporal fluctuations. This must be the legendary Wujian Ridge,” Chi Yao said.
“The Great Elder and Yuan Sheng are not on the ship. They must have entered Wujian Ridge. Now is the perfect chance to escape!”
The Sword Bone was pressed against Zhang Ruochen’s back.
Zhang Ruochen stood tall, like an unsheathed divine sword. Raising his arm, he swung it, sending out an unstoppable sword qi.
“Bang!”
The cage holding Jie Zunzhe was cut open.
The tree roots binding Jie Zunzhe were also severed by the sword qi.
Jie Zunzhe’s body radiated nine-colored chaotic qi, his long hair flying as he exuded fierce killing intent. “Wujian Ridge, huh? Today, I’ll flatten Wujian Ridge!”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Didn’t you exhaust all your accumulated Ancestor Divine Qi?”
“I still have one trump card. Using it, I can kill any enemy in the world. Who dares to touch my woman?” Jie Zunzhe fumed, furious.
Hearing this, all the tree roots of the Yinhuai Divine Tree retreated.
The divine tree’s voice echoed in the Chaos Divine Prison: “The Chaos Clan specifically demanded Jie Zun. The Great Elder refused to hand you over and has gone to Chaos Mountain with the clan emperor.”
“Let’s go. Flatten Chaos Mountain,” Jie Zunzhe said.
Zhang Ruochen felt something was off. The Earth, Fire, and Wood clan emperors had all shown Yuan Suyin respect and not pressed the matter. Why would the Chaos Clan risk offending a clan to demand Jie Zunzhe?
Had the secret of Jie Zunzhe’s Heavenly Venerable Divine Source been exposed?
That shouldn’t be.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Let’s not rush. We need to sort this out.”
“Sort what out? If you won’t go, I’ll go alone,” Jie Zunzhe said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “The Great Elder is an Indestructible Infinite, one of the strongest in her clan. Setting aside whether anyone in the lower realm can kill her, with the prohibition about to expire, the Primordial Beings can’t be starting an internal conflict now. The Great Elder dared to go, which means at least she herself is not in danger.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
A long, drawn-out voice came from the distance.
The three of them looked toward the sealed remnants of Gai Mie.
The voice seemed to come from one of the body parts: “The Primordial Beings naturally don’t want internal strife at this juncture. But someone wants them to.”
Zhang Ruochen raised his voice and asked, “Supreme Pillar, what do you mean?”
“If you help me escape, I’ll tell you everything,” Gai Mie said.
A strange light flickered in Chi Yao’s eyes. “Let’s go, Chen Ge. Jie Zun, don’t waste time. He was just awakened and suppressed, imprisoned in Fengdu Ghost City. He just escaped and was suppressed again. How could he know the secrets?”
Zhang Ruochen caught on. “Makes sense.”
Gai Mie’s voice rang out again: “Jiusi Yitianhuang is the one pulling the strings.”
Zhang Ruochen stopped and turned back. “How do you know that?”
Gai Mie said, “Because my escape from Fengdu Ghost City involved his participation.”
Zhang Ruochen laughed. “Why would Jiusi Yitianhuang save you?”
Gai Mie revealed a shocking secret: “Because Jiusi Yitianhuang’s first life was the Great Demon God. At least, that’s what he told me, and he provided evidence.”
Zhang Ruochen, Jie Zunzhe, and Chi Yao were all stunned.
Chi Yao asked, “What evidence did he provide?”
“I won’t say.”
“Then why should we believe you?”
“Believe it or not.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “If Jiusi Yitianhuang’s first life was the Great Demon God, and he saved you from Fengdu Ghost City, you should be loyal to him. Why would you so easily reveal his secret to us?”
Gai Mie said, “I need to correct two mistakes of yours. First, even if Jiusi Yitianhuang’s first life was the Great Demon God, he’s on his ninth life now. Why should he still be the Great Demon God?”
“Second, even if he were the true body of the Great Demon God, without Ancestor-level strength, why should I be loyal to him?”
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and laughed. “That does make sense.”
Gai Mie said, “I told you this secret for two reasons. First, Jiusi Yitianhuang saved me from Fengdu Ghost City precisely to use my hatred for the Primordial Beings and the pursuit of the upper realm cultivators to create chaos in the lower realm.”
“I was at the center of the storm, drawing away the top experts of the Earth, Fire, Wood, and Yuan Dao clans.”
“Feng Caiyi, who kills without restraint, entered the Ancient Desolate Ruins City. The Yellow Spring Great Emperor, desperate for soul food, vanished without a trace. The Primordial Beings must be uneasy. Naturally, they will invest more power into defending the Ancient Desolate Ruins City and dealing with the Yellow Spring Great Emperor. This way, Jiusi Yitianhuang can easily cross the Three Ridges and Two Rivers to reach Wujian Ridge and execute his next plan.”
“I only realized I was being used, a pawn—and a discarded one—just now. Shouldn’t I use your hands to retaliate against him?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “And your second reason?”
Gai Mie said, “By exposing Jiusi Yitianhuang through you, Wujian Ridge will fall into chaos. Then, without you needing to act, I’ll have a chance to escape.”
“Are those reasons sufficient?”
Zhang Ruochen was mostly convinced. If Wujian Ridge fell into chaos, Yuan Suyin and the three clan emperors would surely recall the divine weapons suppressing Gai Mie, giving him a chance to escape.
Perhaps it was his only chance.
Zhang Ruochen said, “What exactly is Jiusi Yitianhuang trying to do? I don’t believe he would take such a huge risk just to stir up internal conflict among the Primordial clans.”
“That’s for you to investigate. I’ll wait for your good news.” Gai Mie fell silent.
(Chapter End)