Chapter 3682: Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable shook his head. "I do not know. At the very least, I am unaware of any ancient powerful ones descending upon the Space Divine Temple, nor has the temple ever implemented such a plan."
"As for whether someone is acting in secret..."
"That should not be the case. If someone were to summon an ancient powerful one, I, this old man, would certainly have sensed it."
Within the Space-Time Forbidden Zone, countless ancestral patterns flickered around Heavenly Abyss God Venerable, casting faint light into the darkness.
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on the God Venerable's eyes. "Kunlun died in the Space Divine Temple, yet you, God Venerable, still had no awareness of it, did you?"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable met Zhang Ruochen's eyes, his mind shaken.
He realized that he had not fully cleared himself of suspicion. If he deliberately concealed anything and Zhang Ruochen detected it, the latter would undoubtedly conduct a soul search without hesitation.
Now was his final chance!
To speak, or not to speak?
Zhang Ruochen said, "With your insight, God Venerable, you should understand what it means that the Heavenly Venerable has placed two Quantities Emperors under my, this Elder's, authority. If the heavens can be severed, then no one is beyond execution."
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable smiled bitterly, no longer hiding anything. "There was indeed a strange occurrence at Buzhou Mountain."
"What strange occurrence?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable said, "About three thousand years ago, a purple rain fell over Buzhou Mountain, lasting a full three years. However, due to the layered and sealed space of Buzhou Mountain, only a few Boundless cultivators within the temple were aware of it."
"The Hall Master once went to the mountain peak to investigate and claimed that three peerless divine medicines had emerged. Hence, he issued a gag order to prevent covetousness from the strongest, lest it bring calamity upon the Space Divine Temple."
Zhang Ruochen raised an eyebrow. "What divine medicine is so valuable that even the Space Divine Temple cannot protect it? This is the Heavenly Court!"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable hesitated for a moment, then said with a grave expression, "Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid!"
Even with Zhang Ruochen's composed state of mind, he was slightly startled.
"In ancient times, there was a rare orchid that grew on the tombs of Heavenly Venerables, absorbing their residual power and gathering the light of the stars. It is known as a great earthly medicine."
The Heavenly Venerable Orchid existed only in legends. It was of great use to Indestructible Infinite cultivators, helping them break through to the Heavenly Venerable rank.
It even had some utility for Heavenly Venerable-level experts.
The Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid was the finest among Heavenly Venerable Orchids.
If three Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchids had indeed appeared simultaneously, it was truly beyond the Space Divine Temple's ability to protect.
Such a divine medicine would lure out old monsters from across the entire universe.
"Such a major event—did you report it to the Heavenly Venerable?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable shook his head and sighed. "Who would want to share such a divine medicine? Even tasting a single petal would bring boundless benefits."
Zhang Ruochen said, "As far as I know, the peak of Buzhou Mountain connects to the Yu Ruins and is a forbidden ground of the Space Divine Temple, accessible only to successive Hall Masters."
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable nodded. "That is correct. The peak of Buzhou Mountain is the burial site of the temple's successive Hall Masters."
"Does that mean you have never been to the peak?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"I have not."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then why did the Hall Master reveal the secret of the three Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchids to you?"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable said, "The three years of purple rain at Buzhou Mountain was such an abnormal phenomenon that we three Boundless cultivators all sensed it. The Hall Master needed a reason to convince us. We had to understand the gravity of the matter so that we would never utter a single word about it."
"Otherwise, once the news spread, with just the three years of purple rain and the mountain covered in purple orchids afterward, the Heavenly Venerables would inevitably speculate about the Heavenly Venerable Orchid."
"Great Elder must understand that, according to legend, Buzhou Mountain is the tomb of an ancestor from one of the twelve ancient clans. It is not impossible for three Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchids to grow there."
"From another perspective, if the Hall Master wanted to monopolize them and resorted to killing to silence us, it would inevitably invite investigation by the Heavenly Court's War God. That would not be a wise strategy either."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you think these reasons can convince yourself?"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable fell silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps the Hall Master used the Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid to cover up an even greater secret. Could it be that an ancient powerful one truly descended upon Buzhou Mountain, triggering the purple rain phenomenon?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "To find the answer, one must go to the peak of Buzhou Mountain."
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable was visibly moved. "I urge the Great Elder to think thrice before acting. That place is called a forbidden ground for a reason—it is not merely a matter of being off-limits."
Zhang Ruochen gave him a thoughtful look.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable smiled wryly and shook his head. "I knew I couldn't hide it from the Great Elder. Yes, I harbored doubts about the Hall Master's words, and I even coveted the Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid. So I secretly infiltrated Buzhou Mountain and attempted to reach the peak. But it was too dangerous—I nearly perished."
"What danger?"
"The ancestral killing marks left by the ancestor, the god-slaying grand formation left by the Formation Tai Shang... the ultimate foundations of the Space Divine Temple are all there. Only by carrying the Four Directions Great Universe Seal can one avoid being attacked, and even mobilize those ultimate foundations."
The Four Directions Great Universe Seal was the inherited divine artifact of the Space Divine Temple, wielded by the Hall Master.
Legend had it that the Four Directions Great Universe Seal was a fragment chipped off the Universe Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons, and refined into a space-attribute divine artifact.
To damage the Universe Cauldron and refine the fragment into a divine artifact was naturally not something an ordinary cultivator could achieve. The legend said it was done by Bai Yuan, the second disciple of the Space-Time Human Ancestor, who inherited the Way of Space.
The two disciples of the Space-Time Human Ancestor, Hei Qi and Bai Yuan, inherited the Way of Time and the Way of Space, respectively.
They also founded the Time Divine Temple and the Space Divine Temple.
Of course, the early Time Divine Temple and Space Divine Temple were far from their current state.
After all, the two divine temples had undergone countless eons of refinement by generation after generation of cultivators, accumulating profound foundations and boundless heritage. The temples themselves had transformed into supreme war fortresses, capable of both offense and defense.
If the full power of the temple were mobilized, with the combined strength of the gods, repelling even the Heavenly Venerables would be trivial.
The reason Zhang Ruochen had been able to win earlier was that Heavenly Abyss God Venerable had been reluctant to be used by the Heavenly Realm Faction, always hesitant, and had not even mobilized the temple's Profound Meaning.
That had given Zhang Ruochen his opportunity.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable asked, "What is the Great Elder's true purpose in coming here? What is the real plan behind this layout?"
"Can you not guess?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable shook his head gently.
Zhang Ruochen said, "There are still three days until the Decapitation Assembly. Do you think the Quantity Organization has time to mount a rescue?"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable understood instantly. "The Quantity Organization has no time to rescue them, but the Quantity Venerable hiding within the Space Divine Temple still has a chance. Killing Xue Qing and capturing the descendants and clansmen of the four Boundless cultivators—all of this was to make the hidden Quantity Venerable let down his guard, and thus lure him out."
"Not just him, but also the fourth Quantities Emperor," Zhang Ruochen said.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable was startled. "The Quantities Emperor behind Xuan Yi—is it not Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable?"
"Who says it must be Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Xuan Yi has been cultivating in the Heavenly Realm, Paradise Realm, and Kunlun Realm. If the Quantities Emperor behind him were Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable, he would have had to interact with Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable multiple times, wouldn't he? With multiple interactions, traces would inevitably be left. With the cultivation levels of the top experts in the Heavenly Realm, Paradise Realm, and Kunlun Realm, how could they remain completely unaware?"
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable's expression shifted. "Someone has been concealing the heavenly secrets for him, and it must be a top expert within the Heavenly Court. Could it be one of the two from the Paradise Realm?"
"Possible, but not certain. At the very least, Shang Tian cannot escape involvement. He has always been Xuan Yi's backer, even teaching him cultivation. Do you believe he didn't know Xuan Yi was a member of the Thunder Clan?"
Zhang Ruochen paused, then said, "I plan to imprison the two Quantities Emperors here."
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable narrowed his eyes. "The Great Elder came to see me to ask me to guard the prison? To act as the fishing hook?"
"Do you have the confidence?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Heavenly Abyss God Venerable said, "As long as the Great Elder agrees to protect my clan, even if I have to self-detonate my divine source, I will never let the Quantity Organization rescue them."
"It won't come to that. You are a Great Unbound Infinite—just hold out for a moment," Zhang Ruochen said.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen about to leave, Heavenly Abyss God Venerable said, "Is the Great Elder not afraid that the two Quantities Emperors will actually be rescued?"
"This is the Space Divine Temple, and this is the Heavenly Court. I am not afraid of the two Quantities Emperors being rescued—I am afraid that the hidden one will not dare to act."
With those words, Zhang Ruochen turned and left.
Zhang Ruochen naturally did not fully trust Heavenly Abyss God Venerable. Imprisoning the two Quantities Emperors with him was also a test.
"Three days! Only three days. Will the Quantity Organization be willing to sacrifice two Quantities Emperors?"
Just as he stepped out of the Divine Prison, Dai Xue Queen approached. "Great Elder, Di Zu God Lord has arrived at the temple."
"He came so quickly. Truly worthy of being a figure on par with Uncle Long and Bing Huang—he knows how to seize the moment."
A hint of a smile appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes, and he then looked at Dai Xue Queen's exquisitely beautiful face. "Mei La Queen is your master, isn't she? What Dao does she primarily cultivate?"
Dai Xue Queen followed behind Zhang Ruochen, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes. "She is a Fire Elf, primarily cultivating the Way of Five Elements Fire, the Way of Light, and the Way of Archery."
"You are the Arrow Dao Lord, aren't you?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Dai Xue Queen nodded. "The Arrow Dao Profound Meaning I wield has been passed down by generation after generation of Elf gods... Does the Great Elder think A Fuya will kill me to seize the Profound Meaning?"
Zhang Ruochen laughed freely. "You are now in the Space Divine Temple and are my person. If A Fuya has any sense, she will not seize the Arrow Dao Profound Meaning through killing."
Arriving at the main hall of the Space Divine Temple, Di Zu God Lord and Ao Xue God Consort were already waiting inside.
One was imposing and sharp.
The other had a slightly fuller figure and a stunningly beautiful face.
Zhang Ruochen gazed at Di Zu God Lord for a moment, then strode forward. "A thousand years have passed. Congratulations, God Lord, on breaking through to the peak of Great Unbound Infinite. The throne of the Imperial Way Great World's Supreme and the Heavenly Venerable rank are within easy reach."
Di Zu God Lord's face bore no trace of intimidation, as if he were a long-lost brother. He smiled. "How could I be as impressive as Ruochen God Venerable? Even the Heavenly Venerable has asked you to be the Great Elder of the Space Divine Temple to rectify the chaos of internal strife in the Heavenly Court."
Zhang Ruochen marveled inwardly.
This Di Zu God Lord was truly extraordinary—he had actually seen through Hao Tian's plan.
Di Zu God Lord went straight to the point. "As long as the three dynasties of the Imperial Way Great World are unified, I will lead the gods to pledge sole allegiance to the Heavenly Palace, jointly facing the coming challenges from the Hell Realm, the Chaos Ancient Demon Gods, and the ancient powerful ones. The various realms being exploited by the Quantity Organization, scheming against each other, fighting among themselves, and dragging each other down—this is the fundamental reason why the Heavenly Court cannot defeat the Hell Realm."
Zhang Ruochen did not immediately agree to support Di Zu God Lord. "You have arrived just in time, God Lord. I happen to be in need of a powerful ally. How is your combat prowess? Can you contend with the Heavenly Venerables?"