Chapter 3661: Beauty Trap
"Lost?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Juemiao Channü said, "A God Venerable cannot simply vanish without a trace in Hell Realm. There must be clues left behind. I will dispatch a few Divine Generals to investigate."
"No rush!"
Zhang Ruochen had considerable confidence in Bai Qinger. In terms of intelligence and vigilance, few in the world could match her.
Moreover, she had mastered the Heaven-Hiding Great Art and received the true teachings of the Starry Sea Angler, allowing her to conceal her aura and heavenly secrets to a certain extent. Unless she was extremely unlucky and ran headlong into an existence above the Great Unbound Infinite, nothing should go wrong.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and activated the "Dream Entry Great Art" from the *Cloud Dream Thirteen Chapters*.
His divine soul left his body, roaming through the void.
His consciousness wove a dream, traversing billions of miles of space.
He had a close relationship with Bai Qinger, allowing him to cross time and space to communicate through dreams.
Before long, in the dream world, Zhang Ruochen saw a gray, desolate expanse of territory.
There, the earth was shattered, barren of vegetation, with countless bone fragments protruding from the yellowish-brown soil. This indicated that life had once existed there in the distant past.
Bai Qinger wore a spotless white plain dress, her body surrounded by divine light, graceful and agile like an immortal, standing at the edge of a rift tens of thousands of miles long. Beside her were Turtle King Ye and Earth Demon Sparrow.
Sixty-five bronze chime bells flew out from within her. Each one transformed to the size of a mountain, towering ten thousand meters high, landing around the rift, exuding an ancient charm and majestic aura.
Zhang Ruochen tried to draw her into a dream to communicate.
But as soon as his consciousness approached, she struck the bronze chime bells.
The world-destroying divine sound erupted, shaking the earth and mountains, causing mud and stone to collapse and slide into the rift.
The bronze chime bells emitted a strange radiance as she charged with them into the depths of the rift.
Zhang Ruochen's consciousness was shattered by the bronze chime bells, and he withdrew from the dream.
"How is it? Found her?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God asked.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Too far away. I could see her in the dream, but I couldn't make her enter the dream. I recall that Bai Qinger's set of bronze chime bells has a significant origin, doesn't it?"
A clear, pleasant voice drifted over from afar: "Those bells are called the World-Destroying Bells, ranked in the first chapter of the *Tai Bai Divine Artifact List*."
"One bell rings, the world is thrown into chaos."
"Nine bells ring, gods fall."
"Ninety-nine bells ring, that is the World-Destroying Bell Sound."
"In the primordial era, the Nether Ancestor once used these bells to play a world-destroying melody, annihilating an ancient, undying great world. After the Nether Ancestor's death, the bells were obtained by many powerful figures throughout history, including the Great Demon God of the Chaos Era. Later, the World-Destroying Bells were acquired by the Holy Clan and sealed away."
"Their appearance in Bai Qinger's hands might be related to this."
Wu Yue walked along the small stream, saying, "Even she has stepped into the Infinite Realm. This era really doesn't allow us old-generation gods to cultivate in peace and step by step. Chen Ge, I wish to borrow the Sundial for a period of time. Would you be willing?"
Juemiao Channü suggested, "Why not activate the Sundial right here in White Clothes Valley?"
"I must re-refine the Time Source Pearl and enhance my cultivation to support the training of multiple Infinite Realm cultivators."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God saw the desire for advancement in Wu Yue and Juemiao Channü and intended to use them to pressure Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen knew well how proud Wu Yue and Juemiao Channü were.
Now, his cultivation had overtaken them from behind, far surpassing theirs. How could they not harbor the desire to catch up?
Bai Qinger's breakthrough to the Infinite Realm was undoubtedly a stimulus and pressure for them. At the same time, it showed them the possibility of catching up to Zhang Ruochen's cultivation level.
"But I need to return to Kunlun Realm immediately. How about you all come along?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Wu Yue's black robe fluttered lightly, her expression solemn. "Jie Zunzhe has just defeated Lei Zu, and his prestige is at its peak. Who would dare to target Kunlun Realm at this time? Besides, Kunlun Realm has always been under the surveillance of the strong from Paradise Realm and Heavenly Court. It's too close to Wuding Divine Sea and sits at a critical point on the defense line. If we activate the Sundial in Kunlun Realm, the temporal fluctuations would be hard to hide from Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable and the Heavenly Court's All Heavens."
Juemiao Channü said, "White Clothes Valley has no such hidden dangers. Moreover, White Clothes Valley is arguably the safest place in the world today. Why not stay here, Ruochen Shenzun, to settle yourself and consolidate your newly broken-through cultivation?"
Wu Yue added, "Kunlun Realm is a place of trouble. Jie Zunzhe's Ancestor Divine Source within him is a thing of trouble. You yourself are a person of trouble. Returning to Kunlun Realm now would not only fail to help it but would bring trouble to it."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said, "Master possesses many rare treasures coveted by the All Heavens. Hiding in White Clothes Valley to enhance your own strength is the best choice."
Juemiao Channü said, "White Clothes Valley has countless scriptures. Many texts of the Underworld Clan and Buddhist Sect are worth reading..."
"Stop! You've convinced me! However, the Sundial cannot be activated on a large scale. It must be kept secret for now, or the consequences would be dire." Zhang Ruochen said.
One of the factors behind the tragedy in Kunlun Realm back then was the large-scale activation of the Sundial, which created many powerful beings in a short time, upsetting the balance of power in the universe, leading to targeting by Hell Realm and the dark hands of some Heavenly Court gods.
Previously, the strong from all sides hadn't expended much effort to seize the Sundial because it was damaged and could only support low-level cultivators.
If they learned that the Sundial was gradually recovering, it would inevitably trigger earth-shattering upheaval.
A hundred thousand years ago, Xiu Chen Heavenly God was at the peak of the Great Unbound realm. Zhang Ruochen was very reluctant to give her the Time Source Pearl, fearing that if she recovered to her peak, he would find it difficult to control her.
Who had suppressed her the hardest?
It was undoubtedly Zhang Ruochen.
She was a Shura clan god, and her killing nature was unmatched by any other race.
But if Xiu Chen Heavenly God didn't recover a certain level of cultivation, Zhang Ruochen couldn't use the Sundial for training, and his cultivation speed would be greatly reduced. Who knew how many years it would take to complete the Five Elements cultivation?
Zhang Ruochen decided to wait a little longer, to further temper her edge.
With Xiu Chen Heavenly God's current cultivation, it was enough to support Juemiao Channü and Wu Yue's training.
That day, Zhang Ruochen wrote a letter, sketching the place he had seen in his dream, and sent someone to Stone God Temple to deliver it to Huang Tian.
It was hard to judge who was right or wrong in the conflict between father and daughter.
But relatively speaking, Zhang Ruochen believed Huang Tian was more rational in this matter, so he informed him in advance of Bai Qinger's intention to challenge him.
At the same time, with Huang Tian's status in Hell Realm, he should be able to protect Bai Qinger and prevent accidents.
As for Bai Qinger's side, Zhang Ruochen wasn't worried.
Bai Qinger was definitely seeking opportunities to enhance her own strength, and it was most likely related to the World-Destroying Bells.
She was gathering power, preparing to defeat Huang Tian.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Yanshu Chanshi and the Underworld Clan's second war god, Hai Zi Qiu, escorted Yi Ji to White Clothes Valley.
Yi Ji was the fifty-seventh pillar among the seventy-two demon god pillars.
After investigation, no trace of that special blood was found in his body.
Zhang Ruochen had actually anticipated this, as he had eaten quite a bit of Qiangshake's mutton, and at least in Qiangshake's blood, no such special blood was found.
Nutian Shenzun performed a soul search on Yi Ji.
But the memory of Yi Ji awakening at the North Marsh Great Wall had been severed, and no results could be found.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Could their situation be different from Fei Ma Wang's?"
"Not necessarily."
Nutian Shenzun said, "The one who severed Yi Ji's memory is extremely powerful. Even with my cultivation and the Path of Fate, I cannot restore that memory. This shows that someone is deliberately concealing the true reason for their awakening!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, the awakening of the seventy-two demon god pillars might not be Fei Ma Wang's doing at all, but the work of another powerful figure? I have a bold guess: could that special blood that preserved the divine sources and souls of the seventy-two demon god pillars have been completely absorbed by that mysterious strong one?"
"That is a possibility." Nutian Shenzun said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Qiangshake and Gai Mie have both awakened! But among the top four pillars, the one second only to the Heavenly Demon has left no trace at all."
"Ba Er!"
Nutian Shenzun gazed at the starry sky above, saying, "The lesson of Di is still fresh in our minds. If I were Ba Er, having awakened in this era, I would certainly not show myself until my cultivation had recovered to its peak. I only hope our guess is wrong, or else..."
A Heavenly Venerable-level being could indeed dominate the world.
But if a Half-Ancestor emerged, how could Nutian Shenzun not feel pressure?
All he could do now were two things.
First, seek the opportunity to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm!
Second, find and eliminate Ba Er before he fully recovered.
Zhang Ruochen could feel the lurking dangers and undercurrents. Whether it was Jiusi Yitianhuang and Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable, or the possibly still-living Ba Er and Qishier Pin Lian, or the unfathomable Hao Tian and Yama Clan, any one of them had the power to utterly destroy him.
Fortunately, a balance still existed, and they were mutually restraining each other. For now, Zhang Ruochen was not their most feared opponent.
"What am I thinking? I'm just a junior. How could they see me as an opponent? Nutian Shenzun, Tai Shang, and Heavenly Mother are the ones qualified to be seen as their opponents."
Though he thought this way, upon returning to his residence in White Clothes Valley, Zhang Ruochen immediately took out Lady Shiji's painting and hung it on the wall behind the incense burner, bowing deeply three times.
"Master holds such deep respect for Lady Shiji?"
A soft, pleasant voice sounded from not far away.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God wore a bright, loose-fitting women's robe, sitting on a jade couch. Her long hair fell naturally, her slender, straight jade-white legs exposed outside her skirt, leaning against the edge of the jade couch, barefoot.
She had clearly applied makeup, her lips crystal-clear and rosy, her snow-white cheeks flushed with red clouds. She was utterly different from her usual self, exuding a water-like tenderness.
Especially her eyes—neither cold and sharp nor seductive and enchanting—clear and spirited like the water of a sacred lake. One glance at them could make one think of all the beautiful things in the world.
Spiritual candles were lit in the room, casting her skin in an exceptionally fair glow.
Zhang Ruochen looked at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "Miao Li, did Xiu Chen send you?"
"Isn't Xiu Chen the same as Miao Li?"
She raised her watery eyes, her eyelashes long and curved.
Zhang Ruochen said, "How long until you two can merge?"
"When the soul body has refined the Time Source Pearl and recovered its cultivation, it can merge with the physical body, and then attack the Indestructible Great Realm. I beg Master to grant this!"
Miao Li knelt before Zhang Ruochen, cupping her hands in salute, bowing deeply, her long dress spreading across the floor.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes remained calm as he sat steadily on the jade couch. "A beauty trap? Don't you know that the more you resort to such unscrupulous means, the deeper my wariness of you becomes? I actually prefer the old Xiu Chen, who wore everything on her face and fought when dissatisfied—she was the least threatening."
"Isn't this the Miao Li that Master wants?"
Miao Li rose, like warm, fragrant, soft jade, sitting on Zhang Ruochen's lap, leaning into his embrace, speaking softly, "If I become Master's woman, why would Master still be wary of me?"
(End of chapter)