Chapter 3738: Shrouded in Mystery
When this forbidden secret about the God-Defying Clan occurred, the Calamity Heaven had already fallen into slumber. Although the Kunlun Realm had entered a sealed state due to the fall of Xumi Saint Monk, at that time, Qiangu Nüdi's cultivation was still shallow, and she was not among those who knew the truth.
Who could have imagined that the mysterious power which caused the Minor Calamity would appear once again?
In other words, the Great Destruction of the universe should have happened a hundred thousand years ago.
Zhang Ruochen's mood was heavy. "So, this is the real reason the God-Defying Clan was exterminated?"
Zhao Gongming's heart ached, his chest heaving violently, his iron-tower-like body trembling. He said despondently, "What other choice was there? Were we really supposed to let them succeed in their sacrifice and summon that terrifying existence?"
"Kill, there was only kill!"
"After a thousand years of war between Heaven and Hell, both sides had suffered heavy losses, their strength far inferior to what it was when the Minor Calamity occurred. If another Minor Calamity were to happen, who could stop it? Everyone would die! Everything in the world would be destroyed!"
"Only by killing those God-Defying Clan members who had been afflicted with the Blood Burning Curse, severing their connection to the unknown terror, was the only way."
"You must understand, under the enhancement of the Blood Burning Curse, all God-Defying Clan members had their combat power doubled, completely unaware of pain or fear, unafraid of death. Some tried to save them, but were severely injured by their self-detonating Divine Sources. They were like monsters, with inexhaustible blood within their bodies, blood that burned continuously. Like human torches, like moths that had flown into the flames!"
Zhang Ruochen, Calamity Heaven, and Qiangu Nüdi all fell silent.
They had not experienced those events back then, but they could feel the danger and the critical moment, and could understand the helplessness and pain in Zhao Gongming's heart.
Zhang Ruochen said, "What about that Third Elder of the God-Defying Clan? Was he afflicted with the Blood Burning Curse?"
Zhao Gongming said, "It is said that the Third Elder was stationed in the Western Buddha Realm at the time, helping the Buddhist sect resist another great army from Hell. When the Blood Burning Curse erupted, he hid inside the Ancestor Realm Saha World left by Kasyapa Buddha, cutting off all contact with the outside world, and thus escaped the calamity."
"That's quite interesting," Zhang Ruochen said.
This seemingly inexplicable remark from Zhang Ruochen made Zhao Gongming ponder deeply.
He continued his account: "After this massacre targeting the God-Defying Clan ended, the gray fog receded, and the crisis was resolved. But a new crisis emerged!"
"The top-tier deities of the Heavenly Court who participated in the extermination of the God-Defying Clan split into two factions. One faction harbored deep hatred for the God-Defying Clan, believing that the entire clan harbored malicious intentions, that they were a guilty clan, the descendants of that unknown terrifying force in the world. Otherwise, why would only their self-sacrifice be able to summon that power?"
"Some even brought up old grievances, claiming that the Thirty Heavens War three hundred thousand years ago was the God-Defying Heavenly Venerable leading the Thirty Heavens to their deaths, to feed that unknown terror."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "That's absolutely impossible! If the God-Defying Clan had done this willingly, why would they need to use the Blood Burning Curse?"
Qiangu Nüdi said, "I have a different view! If summoning that unknown terror required a large number of God-Defying Clan members to be sacrificed, then the high-ranking members of the God-Defying Clan would have no choice but to use the Blood Burning Curse to drive and control them. The lower-level cultivators, and even the vast majority of deities, would not know the truth."
"Grand Elder Ruochen, you think too highly of human nature. Many of those who have cultivated to the Divine Realm are cold-blooded and ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals. Not everyone is like you, willing to use your own life to protect your clan and descendants."
"In the eyes of many, their own clan and descendants are no different from the masses, from grass and trees, from ants."
"As War God Gongming said, how else can we explain the special connection between the God-Defying Clan and that unknown terror? It very much resembles a blood sacrifice method!"
Zhao Gongming said, "I have absolute confidence in the God-Defying Clan, in the Grand Elder and the God-Defying Heavenly Venerable. They are among the most respectable figures in this world. There were not a few deities with this mindset, which led to the emergence of another faction in the Heavenly Court. They raised many unreasonable points, absolutely refusing to believe that the Minor Calamity was related to the God-Defying Clan. They held great sympathy for the God-Defying Clan."
"The Heavenly Venerable felt the same way at the time. He had a very deep friendship with the God-Defying Heavenly Venerable and had absolute faith in his character."
"However, at that time, after years of continuous war, the various realms of the Heavenly Court were riddled with problems, and internal conflicts were numerous. They absolutely could not afford to fall apart over such disagreements."
"Therefore, the Heavenly Venerable agreed to the suggestion put forward by the deities, issued a gag order, forbidding anyone from discussing the God-Defying Clan, and ordered the burning of all texts related to the God-Defying Clan. Doing this, in fact, could protect the reputations of the God-Defying Heavenly Venerable and the Grand Elder, preventing them from being cursed and vilified for eternity by future generations."
"At the same time, the Heavenly Venerable and the top deities of the time did not dare let the lower-level cultivators know that such an unknown terrifying existence existed in the universe, capable of destroying the world at any moment. That would cause order to collapse and people's hearts to break. The truth could only be buried!"
"In secret, the Heavenly Venerable protected the Third Elder, and had Bian Zhuang guard the remnants of the Moon Division, which had separated from the God-Defying Clan three million years ago, preserving a bloodline for the God-Defying Clan to continue."
"This complete erasure of the God-Defying Clan was also because the deities of the Heavenly Court and Hell were too terrified in their hearts. They feared the reappearance of the sacrifice on the Santu River and the Blood Burning Curse, worried that a catastrophic disaster would befall them."
"In the blink of an eye, a hundred thousand years have passed!"
In the inner hall, the four of them fell into silence.
The truth was too bizarre and strange, filled with bloodshed and sorrow, and also the helplessness of the deities of an era.
Zhao Gongming said, "Who would dare to make such a truth public? Once made public, it would inevitably lead to another storm of blood and rain. More importantly, it would be a huge blow to the hearts of all cultivators."
"Another curse!"
Zhang Ruochen clenched his five fingers, his eyes sharp and cold. "Has it been investigated? Why did the entire God-Defying Clan fall victim to the Blood Burning Curse? How was the curse cast?"
Zhao Gongming nodded. "It was investigated. The curse was hidden within the bloodline of the God-Defying Clan members. It is very similar to the Withering Death Art, persisting in future generations."
"But why were the clan members of Nine Heavens' lineage unaffected by the curse? Does this indicate that the Blood Burning Curse is not innate? That the God-Defying Clan is not the descendant of that unknown terror? That this calamity of the God-Defying Clan actually began in the Middle Ages, or even the Ancient Era, within the last million years?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhao Gongming said, "The Heavenly Venerable thought so too! He speculated that someone obtained the blood of the elders from various branches of the God-Defying Clan and offered it to that unknown terror, causing the entire clan to be afflicted with the Blood Burning Curse and become sacrifices. For this reason, the Heavenly Venerable even specifically sought out Nine Heavens!"
"That old drunkard should have nothing to do with this matter; otherwise, he would be dead for sure," Zhang Ruochen said.
Calamity Heaven let out a cold, sharp laugh. "How could it be completely unrelated? Otherwise, why was only his lineage safe and sound?"
Zhao Gongming said, "Actually, the biggest point of doubt is that after the God-Defying Clan members were afflicted with the Blood Burning Curse, their blood kept burning, yet new blood continuously appeared within their bodies. Where did this blood come from? Like the Blood Devouring Curse of the Underworld Clan, where did the blood disappear to?"
Zhang Ruochen thought of the Soul Mother, the Nether Ancestor, and the unknown blood he had refined into his body. Instantly, a sense of unease arose in his heart.
Would he one day also suffer an outbreak of the Blood Burning Curse, his blood burning within him, turning him into a mad demon?
As it stood now, what he had obtained in the Soul Realm might not necessarily be an opportunity, but could also be a hidden danger.
"Since it's already refined, what is there to fear? The eighty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety relics of the Sixth Patriarch should be able to suppress curses. I'll deal with problems as they come."
Zhang Ruochen cast aside that worry in his heart. "It seems now that the Space Divine Temple Hall Master might be able to give us the answers. After all, aside from Nine Heavens, he is the most suspicious!"
"In these hundred thousand years, I never suspected him. It seems now that the lamp was dark right under it!" Zhao Gongming said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You didn't suspect him, but the Heavenly Venerable probably did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made me the Grand Elder of the Space Divine Temple. By having me deal with the Third Elder of the God-Defying Clan, regardless of whether this Third Elder has problems or not, the Heavenly Venerable would not face criticism from those deities who sympathize with the God-Defying Clan."
"You obtained the God-Defying Stele and married a wife from the God-Defying Clan. If you don't bear this karmic consequence, who will?" Zhao Gongming immediately added, "When you make your move, you must call me."
...
Hanxue arrived outside the hall, bowed, and reported: "Master, Liu Qingyu has left! She asked me to tell you that the Space Divine Temple Hall Master requests your immediate return, as there are important matters to discuss."
"I understand. You did well."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the people inside the hall. "What do you think? If I really return to the Space Divine Temple, will I be directly suppressed and killed?"
Calamity Venerable and Zhao Gongming both laughed, thinking he was joking.
But as they laughed, their expressions turned serious.
Yes, once Zhang Ruochen returned to the Space Divine Temple, it was entirely possible that the Hall Master would directly suppress and kill him.
As for the charges, there were plenty to be found, far too many!
"No need to be so tense. The Space Essence is still in my hands! Even if I return to the Space Divine Temple, his advantage over me is not that great. Now, let's see how he makes his move."
Zhang Ruochen was naturally relaxed, because the initiative was in his hands now.
Moreover, his cultivation was growing fiercely every single day. If he were given more time to successfully cultivate the Indestructible Dharma Body, his confidence would be even greater.
His only concern now was the ultimate foundation of the Space Divine Temple and the possible ancient powerhouses on Buzhou Mountain.
...
Undying Divine City, Clan Mansion.
The old patriarch of the Undying Blood Clan was white-haired, withered as firewood, his blood energy almost completely drained, like a piece of human skin wrapped around bones.
He lay curled up like a dying dog inside a coffin, his breath as faint as a thread.
The Undying War God entered the room to see off his old friend on his final journey. "Want a drink? I managed to get some Ancestor blood; it can extend your life for another half month."
"Don't want it. What use is half a month? Don't worry about me. I feel comfortable lying here. When I die, just close the coffin lid. Remember to seal it tightly and throw it into the void of the universe for a celestial burial. That way, no one should be able to find my bones. Peaceful, nice!"
The old patriarch continued, "You should leave too. I don't want to see anyone. Seeing you just pisses me off. How can you still live so long? The Heavenly Dao is unfair!"
"How about burying you on White Cang Star, beneath the White Cang Blood Soil? Maybe you could awaken in the future." The Undying War God's mood was complicated. Although he knew the possibility was minuscule, he still wanted to try.
The old patriarch said, "No, my resolve to die is firm. If I'm buried in the White Cang Blood Soil, who knows if some unfilial descendant might dig me up in the future and refine me into a dried corpse or bone soldier?"
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded.
A false deity reported: "Heavenly Mother and Nie Cang Venerable are here for a secret visit!"
The old patriarch, who had been curled up in the coffin, sat up with a whoosh. "What? Who's here? Who did you just say?"