Chapter 3561: I Will Guard It for You for Ten Thousand Years
The sky above the Sword Grave was eternally dark, with thick clouds pressing down.
On the ground, broken war swords could be seen everywhere.
The place was bitterly cold, yet towering volcanoes rose here and there, occasionally spewing lava.
Deep within the Sword Grave, the entrance to the Nether Prison was a hundred-zhang-tall black boulder.
The stone’s surface was as smooth as a mirror.
In the cold wind, Tai Shang, dressed in a gray-white cloth shirt, sat beneath the boulder, his white beard fluttering.
Luo Shuihan stood a zhang behind Tai Shang, her figure shrouded in misty rain, holding a painting brush like a celestial being gliding over waves—ethereal and hazy, as graceful as a clear bamboo, as upright as a green pine.
They gazed into the distance, waiting for something...
“Shua! Shua! Shua!”
Three streaks of bright divine light cut through the darkness, landing beneath the boulder, materializing into the figures of Zhang Ruochen, Jie Zunzhe, and Chi Yao.
Tai Shang’s hair was white as frost, and a faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face. “Ruochen, you’ve improved again.”
“Tai Shifu, do you not blame me?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The carefully laid plan had been ruined.
Tai Shang had emerged from the Nether Prison and waited here, undoubtedly knowing who was behind it all.
Tai Shang shook his head. “In truth, I wasn’t entirely confident either. One misstep, and Kunlun Realm would have been lost to my hands. But I had no choice; otherwise, after my death, Kunlun Realm would still face annihilation. If I could eliminate some enemies before dying, the pressure on you would naturally lessen.”
Over the past ten million years since ancient times, Kunlun Realm had successively produced Heavenly Demon, the Second Confucian Ancestor, the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable... and a host of other figures who had shone through the ages, pushing Kunlun Realm to the pinnacle of history—unmatched even by the Holy Clan, the Yama Clan, or the Primordial Beings.
But extremes lead to decline.
In the last ten eons, Kunlun Realm had suffered calamity after calamity, sliding from its peak into the abyss.
Yet, the Nether Prison, the Great Venerable’s Tomb, the Heavenly Demon Mountain, the Second Confucian Ancestor’s Ancestor Realm, as well as cultivation methods like the “Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription” and the “Bright King Scripture,” and peerless divine abilities like the “Immovable Wisdom King Fist” and the “Wordless Sword Manual”—all were coveted by the Infinite-level beings of the present age.
If Tai Shang died, how could Kunlun Realm protect these treasures?
When the third great calamity arrived, the realm might truly be destroyed!
Tai Shang looked at Zhang Ruochen, the worry in his eyes fading, replaced by a look of comfort. “You’ve grown faster than I estimated. If anyone in the future can restore order and find a path for everyone amidst the Calamity of Quantities, it will be you. You must take on this responsibility!”
Qiangu Nüdi and Chi Xingtian arrived one after another, hearing Tai Shang’s words, which sounded like a final testament, and their hearts were heavy with sorrow.
Tai Shang swept his gaze over everyone. “You must fully assist him, together supporting Kunlun Realm’s future.”
Chi Xingtian’s eyes reddened, and he roared, “Someone leaked the news! The powerful beings who were supposed to be lured to Kunlun Realm all retreated! If I find out who the traitor is, I’ll skin them alive and eat them.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Chi Xingtian, then took out the Udumbara Flower and the Mani Pearl. “The traitor who leaked the news... was me. I went to the Abyss of Darkness and retrieved the Udumbara Flower, enough to extend Tai Shifu’s life by three hundred thousand years.”
Qiangu Nüdi and Luo Shuihan were both women who could hide their emotions, but at this moment, they were overjoyed.
Chi Xingtian was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Good one, Zhang Ruochen! Playing the sly game. Is that Udumbara Flower really that powerful?”
Tai Shang’s expression remained calm, neither sad nor joyful. “Ruochen, you’ve done well. Tai Shifu is deeply moved. Come here; I have a secret to tell you alone.”
Zhang Ruochen did not approach. Instead, he stepped back a few paces and gently shook his head. “Tai Shifu, don’t treat me like a child anymore. In truth, with my current cultivation and spiritual will, even if you could suppress me, you cannot forcibly pass on your insights into spiritual power cultivation to me if I’m unwilling.”
The few who had just been overjoyed immediately tensed up again.
Tai Shang sighed. “It’s too late!”
“It’s not too late!”
Zhang Ruochen said, “The Mani Pearl can accelerate the ripening of the Udumbara Flower. I believe that since Tai Shifu still has the power to self-destruct his divine heart, he can certainly hold on until the Udumbara Flower matures.”
Tai Shang shook his head. “I mean, the time left for you is running out. You must grow faster. As for me... I’m just an old bone. What meaning is there in living another three hundred thousand years?”
“With my teachings, given your talent, breaking through to Spiritual Power Perfection is only a matter of time. With the help of the Udumbara Flower, it’s even possible for you to prove the Ancestor Path through spiritual power in the future.”
“Becoming an Ancestor in both spiritual power and martial arts, breaking the limits of power since ancient times—only then can you create more possibilities.”
Zhang Ruochen walked over to Tai Shang, gently patted his shoulder, and exuded an unparalleled firm will. “From now on, I want to walk my own path. In the future, if I am to restore order to the world and face the calamities of the Calamity of Quantities, how could I do without a Formation Tai Shang to assist me? Tai Shifu, I need you to live another three hundred thousand years, to fight alongside me against the great enemies, not to die here in obscurity.”
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen finally revealed the bearing of a true hero.
Even Tai Shang was overshadowed in momentum and will.
Qiangu Nüdi, Chi Yao, Jie Zunzhe, Chi Xingtian, and Luo Shuihan—some looked solemn, some sharp and aggressive, some with burning eyes.
The spirit and energy radiating from Zhang Ruochen made Tai Shang stare at him for a long time.
Chi Xingtian could barely contain his excitement and asked, “With the Udumbara Flower, can Tai Shang’s spiritual power fully recover?”
“There’s a chance. But it will take at least ten thousand years, perhaps longer,” Tai Shang said.
“Tai Shifu, just go to the Sword Pavilion to heal. From now on, leave Kunlun Realm to me. I will guard it for you for ten thousand years.” Zhang Ruochen looked at everyone. “Nüdi, you are in charge of mobilizing people to search the universe for precious medicines to help Tai Shifu recover his spiritual power.”
Chi Xingtian’s eyes darted around. “We can borrow from major powers like the Divine Dragon Realm, the Thousand Star Civilization, the Five Elements Temple, and the Pangu Realm. I have a thick skin; I’ll go.”
Qiangu Nüdi and Chi Xingtian were brimming with emotion, seeing infinite hope for the future, and they departed one after another.
After leaving the Sword Grave, Zhang Ruochen, Jie Zunzhe, and Chi Yao discussed the next steps as they walked.
Chi Yao said, “If we gather precious medicines so openly, people will guess our purpose. No one wants Tai Shang to recover—including some from the Heavenly Court. Strong beings will surely come to attack.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Not necessarily. Those truly formidable figures all value their lives. They might think this is a new trap we’ve set to lure them to Kunlun Realm. Where is Dragon Lord? With him guarding Kunlun Realm, he can surely cut down any cultivator who tries to probe the truth.”
“Dragon Lord is guarding the Ghost Gate; he probably can’t leave,” Chi Yao said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Then there’s no choice. Kunlun Realm needs a Zhutian-level powerhouse to emerge and deter all sides.”
“Why are you looking at me?”
Jie Zunzhe said, “Back at Huaying Old Man’s place, I didn’t say a word. It was you who patted your chest and said you’d guard Kunlun Realm for ten thousand years. No can do—I’ve been feeling weak lately. I’m going to Wangshan to go into seclusion for a while.”
Zhang Ruochen blocked him. “When heaven is about to entrust a great task to a person, Jie Lao should step up without hesitation.”
Jie Zunzhe said, “You’re looking for a Zhutian-level powerhouse. I don’t have that strength. Move aside, quickly.”
Zhang Ruochen stepped back. “The forbidden pact is about to expire. When that happens, the Primordial Beings will emerge. Su Yin Senior is in danger!”
Jie Zunzhe stopped. “What do you mean?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Major decisions in the Heavenly Court require the twenty Zhutian to deliberate together. If you become one of the Zhutian, when the Primordial Beings emerge in the future—whether to attack or form an alliance—you’ll have a say.”
Chi Yao’s expression shifted. “Zhang Ruochen’s perspective is indeed far-sighted. But this is only a private scheme. A sage like Jie Zun must have the world in his heart and think far ahead.”
“What do you mean?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Chi Yao said, “For the public good, if Jie Zun becomes a Zhutian, he can secure more benefits for Kunlun Realm cultivators. Having a top-tier powerhouse in the Heavenly Court also serves as a deterrent to the Hell Realm and the Quantity Organization.”
“I’ve heard that many young cultivators in the Heavenly Court, upon learning that Jie Zun inherited the divine source of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, have been secretly gossiping, saying the Ancestor’s glory is tarnished and the Great Venerable has no worthy heir.”
“Is that true?” Zhang Ruochen’s eyes burned with hatred. “If the Zhang Clan doesn’t produce a Zhutian, how can future descendants hold their heads high in the Heavenly Court?”
Jie Zunzhe looked from Chi Yao to Zhang Ruochen, stroking his beard. “Since you’ve put it that way, if I don’t act, I’d truly be failing our ancestors. Alright, Zhang Ruochen, tomorrow you’ll come with me to the Radiant Divine Temple, challenge Koluo, and seize his Zhutian position.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Are you serious?”
“Of course. And it’ll serve as a warning to Paradise Realm, so they don’t stir up trouble again.” Jie Zunzhe changed his tone. “But reviving the Ancestor Clan isn’t my job alone. Guarding Kunlun Realm for ten thousand years is also something you promised Huaying Old Man. You have to do your part, don’t you?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Do what?”
Jie Zunzhe said, “You’ve already agreed to the marriage alliance with the Thousand Star Civilization. Why not take this chance to get it done? And that girl from Long Wu’s family—I’ve already accepted the dowry—we can do it together. Best to also form alliances with the Five Elements Temple and the Pangu Realm.”
“We need to make a big show of it, let the world know that Kunlun Realm has many friends and allies everywhere.”
“The two of us working together—one vying for the Heavenly Court’s Zhutian, the other winning over the Heavenly Court’s Zhutian—will surely bring peace to Kunlun Realm for ten thousand years, until Tai Shang recovers his cultivation. Haha! Then who would dare say the Ancestor Clan has fallen? The Zhang Clan is the number one family in the world.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen silent, Jie Zunzhe said, “Ruochen, you wouldn’t be unwilling to sacrifice for the Zhang Clan and Kunlun Realm, would you? Chi Yao, you understand reason best. Zhang Ruochen is doing this for the public good—you’ll support him, right? Let’s work together to make Kunlun Realm strong again.”
(End of Chapter)