Chapter 3693: Secret Plot
The Time Divine Temple was situated on a peninsula along the northern coast of the Southern Continent of the Heavenly Court. Vast stretches of wild land and millions of miles of ocean were all shrouded in a rain of time light.
Upon entering the celestial domain where the Time Divine Temple was located, the power of time became extremely active.
In some areas, the flow of time was slow, attracting many cultivators to carve out caves, build cultivation grounds, and open medicinal fields. Each year, they had to pay a large amount of divine stones to the Time Divine Temple.
In other areas, the flow of time was rapid—hundreds or thousands of times faster than the outside world. A single day inside could equal several years outside. These were forbidden zones, preserving many ancient ruins and primordial rare herbs.
Some gods whose lifespans were nearly exhausted, unwilling to pass away, had retreated into these ancient ruins to eke out a lingering existence.
These time-accelerated and time-decelerated zones were like bubbles independent of the laws of time. Once a cultivator's cultivation exceeded a certain threshold, the bubble would shatter, rendering it useless. Therefore, no one worried that these forbidden zones might hide ancient powerhouses at the level of the Twenty Heavens, or even Ancestors.
Half of the Time Divine Temple was in the Heavenly Court, and half in the Void World.
The River of Time manifested visibly, flowing past one side of the temple. As it receded into the distance, it gradually dissipated, reverting into time rules and particles of time imprint light.
It was very similar to the Past Divine Palace and Future Divine Palace of the Destiny Temple.
In fact, the latter two were built in imitation of the Time Divine Temple.
The Hall Master of the Time Divine Temple, Murong Huan, had an ancient, unadorned face. His gaze carried a sense of oppressive pressure, yet he concealed his sharpness. A few white hairs mixed into his neatly trimmed sideburns did not add to his weathered appearance but instead gave him a heavy, accumulated authority born of the passage of time.
The number one expert of the Murong Clan, Murong Tailai, was a current Heavenly Venerable.
Yet Murong Huan was older and of a higher generation than Murong Tailai, being his uncle.
The Great Palace Master of the Radiant Divine Palace, Yu Dongxuan; the number one expert of Tianquan Great World, Xun Yangzi; and the Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult of the Demon Realm were all present in the Time Divine Temple.
Their gazes were fixed on the Ox-Headed Continent, billions of miles away. Their divine thoughts locked onto the Qicheng Celestial Domain, focusing on the Beheading of the Sovereigns Assembly.
The Demon Realm ranked third in the Western Universe, second only to the Western Buddha Realm. It was a great world where heretical cultivators gathered, with numerous sects and schools.
The Immortal-Worshipping Cult was one of the most top-tier ancient sects in the Demon Realm.
The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult had white hair and a white beard, giving him an immortal, transcendent aura. He sneered coldly, "Qivada and the Three Evil Lords were extinguished so quickly by that brat. It seems not every so-called Heavenly Venerable can hold up the sky. There are still those who are merely famous in name."
The few people present were all ancient relics who had cultivated for millions of years. They were revered as the honored ones among the gods of the world, their might rivaling that of the Twenty Heavens.
They naturally understood that the Space Divine Temple had been able to extinguish Qivada the Mother Goddess and the Three Evil Lords so quickly because the Heavenly Venerable had already broken their Dao and their will and thoughts. Coupled with the Space Divine Temple's vast amount of Space Esoterica, even they would not have lasted much longer.
In their hearts, they were more or less trembling with fear.
They knew that the Heavenly Venerable was intimidating them, but their years of pride and confidence prevented them from showing any fear. Hence, the Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult made such a dismissive remark.
"Is the much-hyped Beheading of the Sovereigns Assembly ending like this? I thought that Zhang kid would behead Yan Wuque and Xie Tianyi together!" Xun Yangzi said.
Yu Dongxuan smiled, "If he really did that, it would surely provoke the wrath of the gods and trigger turmoil in the Heavenly Court. By then, even if the Demon God Realm didn't step in, the Heavenly Palace would intervene to stop him."
"Although the Heavenly Venerable has the intention to reform the Heavenly Court with his words as law, the Heavenly Court has over eight thousand great worlds and many ancient civilizations, each with its own interests and ideas. If he goes too far, he will surely lose their allegiance. By then, how many would still be willing to obey the Heavenly Palace and follow the Heavenly Venerable?"
"According to my knowledge, it's not just Houtu of the Demon God Realm who has different ideas. Even the one from the Xuanyuan Clan in Wanxu Realm has different philosophies from the Heavenly Venerable."
"The pattern of the ruling worlds dominating the four directions of the universe has existed for a hundred thousand years, or even earlier, and is now deeply entrenched. The Heavenly Venerable sends a junior entangled with the Hell Realm to break this pattern and seize the power of the four ruling worlds—isn't that too idealistic?"
With their cultivation levels, and being inside the Time Divine Temple, they were not afraid to discuss the Heavenly Venerable or worry about their secrets being leaked.
Murong Huan spoke calmly, "All realms of the Heavenly Court want to welcome back the ancient sages. Even the founder of the Xuanyuan Clan had plans, but they were destroyed by the Heavenly Venerable. The Heavenly Venerable is too unfriendly toward the ancient sages and lacks tolerance. With such magnanimity... hmph, he only holds his position because of his powerful cultivation."
"It is we who consider the greater good and do not want the Heavenly Court to be in turmoil. Otherwise, we would have pushed for a new Venerable long ago. That position—who among Panyuan Ancient God, Xuanyuan Founder, or even the one from the Wuding Divine Sea could not take it? The latter has even more boldness and decisiveness, repeatedly battling the Rakshasa Clan and the Underworld Clan, clashing with the strongest of the Hell Realm, and severely wounding them." The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult said coldly.
Yu Dongxuan sighed, "You all are clear-sighted people who see the situation. The Heavenly Court has been at a disadvantage in its confrontations with the Hell Realm, suffering humiliation for a hundred thousand years. We finally have this opportunity to welcome back the ancient sages to strengthen our power. But the Heavenly Venerable... heh."
Murong Huan said, "Those in the Hell Realm have abandoned their ancestors and forgotten their origins. They have no gratitude toward the sages who created techniques, established Dao, and spread teachings. They take a hard stance against their own founders and the ancient sages. You have all seen their fate. Now, does the Hell Realm have any strength left to declare war on the Heavenly Court?"
"On the other hand, the Heavenly Court, because of our friendly attitude toward the ancient sages, is thriving and showing signs of surpassing the Hell Realm."
"These are the facts before us, proving that our philosophy is the correct one."
"Those who fabricated the theory of the threat of the ancient sages are now all silent, aren't they?"
The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult looked at Yu Dongxuan and asked with confusion, "What exactly does the First Queen of the Elf Clan mean? We invited her to come to the Time Divine Temple for discussion, but she refused. Instead, she went to the Space Divine Temple to visit that Zhang kid. She's not thinking of siding with the Heavenly Venerable, is she?"
Yu Dongxuan's eyes were restrained. He was quite dissatisfied with the First Queen, but he would never show it at this moment. "The First Queen's wisdom is transcendent. If her thoughts and methods were so easily seen through, how could she have once ruled the world?"
"Zhang Ruochen and the Heavenly Venerable are of the same ilk—both are arrogant and harbor hostility toward the ancient sages. How could the First Queen cooperate with them? As for defecting... do you think someone who once stood at the pinnacle of the universe would be willing to bow to others?"
The others all found this reasoning sound.
Xun Yangzi's eyes showed a mocking smile. "The Heavenly Venerable doesn't dare to act himself, so he sends that Zhang kid to die. Why don't we grant his wish? As long as we break this so-called blade of the Heavenly Venerable, the Heavenly Venerable will naturally understand the attitude of the gods."
"The Heavenly Venerable has been the number one under heaven for too long. He sits high in power but has forgotten what public opinion is. Public opinion is the will of heaven, the direction of the general trend." Murong Huan's eyes flashed with a fierce killing intent.
The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult frowned. "Zhang Ruochen is no longer what he used to be. His cultivation must not be underestimated. If he stays in the Space Divine Temple, he can both use the formations and mobilize the Space Esoterica. How easy is it to kill him?"
"Moreover, there is Bian Zhuang on the Heavenly River, Zhang Jie in the Heavenly Palace, and that old Daoist from the Five Elements Temple is very close to the Kunlun Realm. In the Heavenly Court, no one can kill him."
Murong Huan said, "He has already declared that the Space Divine Temple and the Array-Destroying Palace are not the end. Who's next? The Time Divine Temple? The Demon Realm? Tianquan Great World? Let's wait for him to act. As long as he dares to come, we will never give him a chance to leave."
Yu Dongxuan smiled. "The Radiant Divine Palace still has a pawn. I wonder if it's useful... Eh..."
The few people in the hall all sensed something. They shifted their forms and appeared outside the temple.
They gazed at the starry sky.
They saw that Xie Tianyi's divine throne planet had gone dark.
Xie Tianyi was not only a spiritual power god venerable who could determine the universe with a single thought but also had reached the Great God level in martial Dao. He had a divine throne planet outside the Heavenly Court.
The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult opened his eyes wide. "How dare he?"
"Xie Tianyi was the Vice Palace Master of the Array-Destroying Palace, one of the top-tier combat forces of the Heavenly Court. And he killed him like that? That Zhang kid is so reckless?" Xun Yangzi said coldly.
Yu Dongxuan was not angry but instead pleased. He smiled. "Opportunity has come. Why don't we all go to the Space Divine Temple together? He thinks beheading two sovereigns is not enough and wants to make a bigger scene. Let's fulfill his wish. Otherwise, if he strikes first, we'll be too passive."
The Sect Leader of the Immortal-Worshipping Cult and Xun Yangzi were both tempted.
After all, the two of them had indeed done some dishonorable things over the years that might catch Zhang Ruochen's attention. Rather than waiting for Zhang Ruochen to come to them, it was better to take advantage of the current situation, with righteousness on their side, to deal with him first.
Yu Dongxuan looked at the solemn-faced Murong Huan. "What is Huan Zu worried about?"
Murong Huan waved his hand. "It's not that I'm worried about anything. It's just that everyone has forgotten what was said earlier? In the Space Divine Temple, Zhang Ruochen cannot be killed. What's the use of going? If we really provoke Zhang Jie, it will be troublesome instead."
He added, "Xie Tianyi was born in the True Martial Realm. If Zhang Ruochen can produce a reason that convinces the world, how could the True Martial Great Emperor let him off? Why not sit back and watch the tigers fight?"
Yu Dongxuan's heart stirred, and a look of understanding appeared on his face.
If they could use this opportunity to drag the True Martial Great Emperor into the game, that would be a good thing.
...
The fall of Xie Tianyi was like a star crashing into the earth. The entire Heavenly Court was in an uproar!
The beheading of the Quantity Sovereigns was certainly shocking, but it was within the expectations of all cultivators.
They were people who deserved to die!
But who could have imagined that after the Beheading of the Sovereigns Assembly ended, Zhang Ruochen would go on to refine and kill Xie Tianyi?
Because Xie Tianyi had tried to harm him?
Because Xie Tianyi might be a member of the Quantity Organization?
These baseless reasons were not enough to convince the masses.
"Palace Master Xie was a figure at the Great Unbound Infinite level. He fought in the North Marsh Great Wall and made great contributions to the Heavenly Court in the confrontations with the Hell Realm. The Space Divine Temple cannot just kill him like this!"
"Palace Master Xie cannot die unjustly."
"Zhang Ruochen is using personal grudges to go on a killing spree in the Heavenly Court. It is said that the Space Divine Temple has imprisoned over a hundred true gods!"
...
The gods had not yet left the Qicheng Celestial Domain. Incited by those with ulterior motives, they marched in a grand and imposing manner toward the Space Divine Temple, with the intent of condemning Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen stood outside the Space Divine Temple, holding the ebony staff that had once belonged to Kui Liang Huang. The broken staff had been reconnected. He looked calmly at the gods flying toward him like a meteor shower. "Go tell them that those who cross the Zhihe River will die. Those who insult the Great Elder of the Space Divine Temple will be killed without mercy."
"Understood!"
Quan Zhongsheng spread his wings and flew toward the Zhihe River.
Cao Beisheng's face showed a grave expression. "Great Elder, why did you have to kill Xie Tianyi? Beheading two Quantity Sovereigns was enough to establish your authority. Your reputation now probably surpasses that of the Hall Master. Xie Tianyi's background involves too many forces. The Heavenly Court might..."
"The Heavenly Court won't be in chaos! How much weight does a mere Xie Tianyi carry?"
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then said, "Do you want to know why? Because for some people, establishing authority alone is not enough. If they don't see real blood, they will always think I don't dare to kill and will continue to do as they please."
"Of course, even after killing Xie Tianyi, the fear in their hearts probably hasn't increased much. They still see all living beings as ants, still think they are right, and don't know when to stop. They don't understand the Heavenly Venerable's bottom line."
"I have to keep killing!"
...
"Roar!"
A tiger's roar resounded through heaven and earth.
Zhao Gongming rode a black tiger, appearing in the clouds and descending to the bank of the Zhihe River.
Immediately, many gods stepped forward, asking Zhao Gongming to uphold justice and avenge Xie Tianyi.
Quan Zhongsheng naturally did not block Zhao Gongming and let him pass.
A moment later, Zhao Gongming arrived at the Space Divine Temple. When he looked at Zhang Ruochen, his eyes showed both admiration and worry. "You've made too big a scene! I thought you would behead Yan Wuque and one or two gods under Xie Tianyi to warn the various parties."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Brother Gongming is still too merciful! If I only beheaded two insignificant gods, any of you could have done that. Why would the Heavenly Venerable have invited me?"
Zhao Gongming said, "Alright! Since the Heavenly Venerable has entrusted the Heavenly Court to you, he must believe in your methods. But given Xie Tianyi's cultivation and status, you still need to provide sufficient evidence."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Ice Phoenix Divine Source. "This is the inheritance treasure of the Phoenix Clan of the Kunlun Realm, found on Xie Tianyi. I have already searched his soul. Ten thousand years ago, when the Phoenix Clan of the Kunlun Realm was exterminated, he directly participated and cannot escape his guilt."
Behind Zhang Ruochen, a Taiji Four Symbols Diagram appeared.
"Whoosh!"
A remnant soul of Xie Tianyi flew out from the diagram and fell into Zhao Gongming's hands.
Zhang Ruochen took out three more divine sources. "To refine the Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix Divine Formation, Xie Tianyi secretly killed three gods of the Demon Clan, causing two relatively remote great worlds in the Southern Universe to disappear from the Myriad Realms Merit Ranking. Those who died were all allies and comrades. No matter how high his cultivation, such a person must be killed."
Zhao Gongming had already searched Xie Tianyi's soul. His face was ashen. "Killing him like this is too easy for him! I only regret that he did not fall into my hands."
Zhao Gongming carried Xie Tianyi's remnant soul and the four divine sources, heading straight for the Zhihe River.
Zhang Ruochen was too lazy to deal with such troublesome matters. "Brother Gongming, remember to bring those four divine sources back to me."
(End of Chapter)