Chapter 3668: Heavenly Venerable Acts, One Strike Cuts Down a Heavenly God
The River of Time had completely vanished, as if it had never existed.
The strange purple ancient river was also rapidly receding, as if an invisible force was drawing it away.
Only Xiu Chen Heavenly God remained dejected and utterly disheartened, lacking the killing intent of a Shura or the battle prowess of a peerless Heavenly God.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen, gritting her teeth, "How did you know she was Fan Ning?"
Zhang Ruochen sighed, "What else could make Saint Monk lose his desire for revenge and enter the Buddhist path? What else could make Yinxue feel guilt and also cultivate in Buddhism? There must be a reason behind it all."
In his youth, Xumi Saint Monk had fallen in love with Kong Fanning. Although there were rumors that they were schemed against by an unknown powerful being.
However, Zhang Ruochen understood human nature too well. Based on the various abnormal behaviors of Xumi Saint Monk and Kong Yinxue that he had learned about, he was more inclined to believe there were other hidden circumstances.
Ten eons ago, Kong Yinxue was able to leave the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, taking Nutian Shenzun and Kong Fanning back to the Underworld Clan. This in itself meant she was already deeply disappointed and pained, as if abandoned.
No one knew what kind of suffering they endured when the Withering Death Art struck. Were they mocked?
But there was only one Mani Pearl, and it could only save one side for the time being.
Anyone in the position of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable would find the choice incredibly difficult.
Because Kong Yinxue had feelings for the Great Venerable, she might, to some extent, understand his difficulties. Nutian Shenzun acted more rationally and could restrain the hatred in his heart.
But what kind of person was Kong Fanning?
Zhang Ruochen had thought about this many times, recalling how in Yunwu Commandery, during the bitter winter, he and Consort Lin were driven out of the palace by his elder brother. That humiliation and hatred had not completely faded even now. He hated the Eighth Prince and his mother for going too far, and he also hated the Yunwu Commandery King for his indifference toward him and Consort Lin.
But for Kong Fanning and Nutian Shenzun, the pain of the Withering Death Art they suffered was definitely far greater than what Zhang Ruochen and Consort Lin had endured back then.
From a human nature perspective, Zhang Ruochen did not believe that Kong Fanning and Nutian Shenzun had never thought of retaliating against Ling Yanzi's lineage.
Even ten eons later, separated by several generations, the Jue Miao Zen Nun, back in the Abyss of Darkness, had harbored intense hatred toward Zhang Ruochen, wanting to kill him.
Therefore, in Zhang Ruochen's view, the truth should be this. After the Great Venerable disappeared from the world, Kong Fanning had already begun planning revenge, deliberately hiding her identity and bloodline, designing the young Xumi Saint Monk to fall in love with her.
Since the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable had been unfaithful, and Ling Yanzi had taken the Mani Pearl that rightfully belonged to them, then she would make Xumi Saint Monk suffer unbearably.
Killing Xumi Saint Monk outright would be letting him off too easily.
She had endured the pain of the Withering Death Art, so Ling Yanzi's son must endure even greater pain. Everyone in Ling Yanzi's lineage must die.
This was revenge!
It was precisely because Zhang Ruochen understood the influence of hatred on the human heart and knew the pain of emotional backlash that, after learning about Kong Fanning's deeds from Xiu Chen Heavenly God and Feng Tian, he became suspicious and very much wanted to investigate whether Kong Fanning had truly fallen.
In reality, Zhang Ruochen did not want the truth to be this at all. He would rather Kong Fanning had truly fallen because of Xumi Saint Monk.
After all, this truth was too cruel.
Perhaps ten eons ago, the Saint Monk had simply sought death, hoping that by dying, he could dissolve the hell in Kong Fanning's heart.
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts were tumultuous, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "I only hope she is not Kong Fanning. Heavenly Venerable, can you tell us the answer?"
The middle-aged Confucian scholar stood not far from Zhang Ruochen, the clear radiance on his body fading. He looked at the distant purple divine river, a hint of loneliness appearing in his eyes. "The grudges of the world mostly originate from the word 'love.' If all things were without emotion, like grass and trees, like flowing water, naturally there would be no pain or vendetta in the world."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If all things were without the seven emotions and six desires, then why bother coming to this mortal world for a visit?"
"You don't need to worry too much. I will handle her side. Come with me!"
Hao Tian's finger traced out, and a spatial channel pierced through the Void World, connecting to an unknown region.
Walking in the spatial channel, Zhang Ruochen could clearly feel the space rules flowing in a peculiar manner, as if the universe was being folded. Each step could cross a star domain in the real world.
"Are we returning to the Heavenly Court?"
Zhang Ruochen had no worries at all.
Although Hao Tian was unfathomable, if he wanted to kill Zhang Ruochen, he wouldn't need to do it himself. He only needed to not show up just now.
"First, go clean up a few people, then return to the Heavenly Court. If you have any doubts, just ask directly." Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen deliberated for a moment, then said, "This junior oversteps, but may I ask what exactly is the relationship between Heavenly Venerable and Kong Fanning?"
"She is the only woman I have ever had feelings for." Hao Tian's words were concise, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
Zhang Ruochen said, "What kind of person is she exactly?"
"You actually shouldn't ask this question, because everyone has a different view of a person. Even the same person at different times is completely different. Whatever you think she is, that's what she is. You just need to have the answer in your own heart for this question." Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen lost interest in asking further.
Because Hao Tian had already said that he would handle Kong Fanning's side, clearly not wanting Zhang Ruochen to get involved.
No matter what the truth was back then, many things had already happened and could not be undone.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen and Hao Tian emerged from the Void World, appearing under the starry sky of the real world, continuing forward.
Bright stars were rapidly receding behind them.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen silent, Hao Tian took the initiative to say, "Does the Realm Lord not want to know what happened at the Space Divine Temple?"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. "If the Heavenly Venerable knew what happened at the Space Divine Temple, then you would have brought the murderer before me by now."
"I was not in the Heavenly Court at the time." Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If I go to the Heavenly Court, to the Space Divine Temple, will the Heavenly Venerable stop me?"
"Are you going to kill people?" Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Kunlun died there. Should I not go and kill?"
"If you go on a killing spree, causing turmoil in the Heavenly Court, wouldn't that be exactly what the Quantity Organization wants to see? Therefore, I will stop you."
Hao Tian's steps were steady. Although he did not reveal any divine aura, his momentum was still extraordinary. He changed the subject and said, "Unless, you do not go as the Realm Lord of the Sword Realm."
"Is the identity of Chi Kunlun's father not enough?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Hao Tian shook his head. "The position of the Space Divine Temple's Great Elder is still vacant."
Zhang Ruochen was momentarily stunned. "Heavenly Venerable, do you want me to join the Heavenly Court?"
Hao Tian stopped walking, looking into Zhang Ruochen's eyes. "Realm Lord, who do you think the Heavenly Court Universe belongs to?"
"The Heavenly Venerable's word can determine the laws of the world. Why ask such a question?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Hao Tian said, "If the Heavenly Court Universe truly belonged to me alone, what meaning would other cultivators have? The Heavenly Court Universe belongs to the Twenty Heavens, to the God Kings and God Venerables who dominate their regions, to the gods of the various realms, and also to the billions of living beings."
"I am indeed the Heavenly Venerable, revered as the number one in cultivation under heaven. But my divine soul and divine thoughts are ultimately limited. I cannot know everything that happens in the Heavenly Court. Therefore, every cultivator has their meaning of existence. The stronger one's cultivation, the more they can do."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Does the Heavenly Venerable want me to use the identity of the Great Elder to purge the Space Divine Temple?"
"Some people in the Space Divine Temple are entangled with the interests of many major worlds. Acting rashly might cause panic and ultimately lead to betrayal like the Four Yang Heavenly Lord. An outsider is needed to act with thunderous means and eliminate all hidden dangers. You are the most suitable person for this!" Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen was very clear about what taking the position of the Space Divine Temple's Great Elder meant. He was contemplating the pros and cons when Hao Tian looked up at the brilliant starry river.
"In the future, if the world changes, order completely collapses, and even the Heavenly Court is destroyed, you will need an identity to bring the Space Divine Temple under your banner and take it to the Sword Realm. Can you bear to watch the Space Divine Temple be destroyed?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed as he looked into Hao Tian's deep eyes.
"Think it over carefully. We've arrived!" Hao Tian said.
Ahead was a colorful sea of stars, boundless, with thick star clouds and countless stars and void realms floating within, like a true ocean.
This was the Sea Stone Star Dock, known as the origin place of the universe.
After Xinghuantian and Xingtiaya moved away, the Sea Stone Star Dock became even more lively. Bold cultivators from both the Heavenly Court and Hell realms came here, venturing into the dock to find treasures.
Zhang Ruochen looked into the distance. With his current cultivation, wherever his divine thoughts reached within the outer hundred billion li region of the Sea Stone Star Dock, cultivators were almost completely exposed, like ants on the ground.
"Hua!"
A clear radiance of divine light burst from Hao Tian's body, and the Heavenly Venerable's might leaked out, instantly shaking the entire space of the Sea Stone Star Dock, creating ripples.
The glow was splendid and beautiful, illuminating a corner of the universe.
Almost all the cultivators in the dock immediately knelt and kowtowed.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen detected the aura of the Three Fiend Emperor deep within the Sea Stone Star Dock.
Very faint!
But he could sense that the Three Fiend Emperor was fleeing at top speed.
"Shua!"
Hao Tian took a single step across the sea of stars, catching up to the fleeing Three Fiend Emperor. A palm strike came down, smashing him into a mist of blood.
With a flick of his sleeve, he collected all the blood mist into it.
"Rip!"
He cut off that sleeve.
The sleeve turned into a bulging cloth bag, which he tossed to Zhang Ruochen standing at the edge of the Sea Stone Star Dock.
The cloth bag, transformed from Hao Tian's sleeve, was wrapped in rules and divine patterns, piercing through layers of space to land before Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen held the cloth bag in his hands, his heart churning with shock. A Heavenly God, struck down with one palm, losing all combat power, captured in a bag made from a sleeve. This method was far too domineering. Who in the world could compare?
The Mother of Qi Wada transformed into her true form, like a red mantis, fleeing from the shattered space of the Sea Stone Star Dock into the Void World.
But she couldn't escape at all.
Hao Tian stomped down, crushing her divine body, which was as large as a major world. Her carapace shattered into pieces, and divine blood stained hundreds of millions of li of void.
Hao Tian used the same method, using his other sleeve to collect her remnant body, cutting it off to form another cloth bag, which he tossed to Zhang Ruochen.
"Kui Liang Huang, today I, this Venerable, will destroy your Quantity Organization. Where do you think you can flee?"
Hao Tian's head was covered in a billion li of clear radiance, his feet treading on rings of spatial ripples, flattening forbidden zones within the Sea Stone Star Dock one by one, walking straight toward the deepest part. His unparalleled heroic posture seemed to transcend past and present, as if he could trample heaven and earth flat.
(Chapter End)