Chapter 3758: Nutian Returns
"I'm too furious. I, this Heavenly God, will go to the Demon God Realm right now and flatten Houtu."
Void Heaven's killing intent was fierce, his hatred hard to quell. Feeling humiliated in the Heavenly Court and his reputation damaged, he prepared to draw his sword and head to the Southern Universe to reclaim his face.
Well Daoist rolled his eyes and said, "What are you furious about? You barged into the Heavenly Court, snatched the Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid, and still managed to retreat intact—you should be secretly celebrating! Letting you come and go freely, the Heavenly Court is the one whose dignity has been swept away this time."
Mentioning the Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid, Void Heaven instantly calmed down. He fixed his gaze on Zhang Ruochen and asked suspiciously, "Is the other Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid really not on you?"
"Do you believe the words of Qishier Pin Lian, Senior Void Heaven? Back then, the Saint Monk trusted her wrongly and paid a tragic price. My Zhang Clan has an irreconcilable enmity with her—a grudge spanning a million years. I will settle accounts with her sooner or later."
Zhang Ruochen's expression was even colder than Void Heaven's.
The teleportation array had brought the four of them to a dark starry sky several light-years away from the Starry Sky Defense Line. Each harbored their own thoughts.
Well Daoist wanted to leave immediately, but he felt that returning to the Heavenly Court like this would invite all kinds of criticism. Many would inevitably think he was Void Heaven's close ally.
Well Daoist stroked his beard and said, "How about... Old Ghost Void, you stab me with your sword?"
Void Heaven squinted, revealing a scrutinizing and surprised expression, then laughed, "Are you trying to leave? When Chongming Old Ancestor and Murong Buhuo made their move, they didn't care at all whether you lived or died—they even seemed to want you as a sacrifice. Can you swallow that anger?"
"Since you've left the Heavenly Court, why not join the Destiny Temple? With our relationship, you won't lack the position of a hall master."
Well Daoist was startled and said, "Old Ghost Void, you can't say such things carelessly. I, this Daoist, walk upright and sit straight—I will never betray the Heavenly Court like Siyang Tianjun did."
"Tch! If the Heavenly Court had a place for you, why have you been holed up in the Five Elements Temple for so many years, not even managing to become a Heavenly Venerable?" said Void Heaven.
Zhang Ruochen could see that Well Daoist was not good with words and was completely dominated by Void Heaven. He stepped in to mediate, "Murong Buhuo's actions this time have fully exposed his treacherous intentions, posing a great threat to the Heavenly Court. I suspect that Hao Tian will definitely make a move against him. As for Chongming Old Ancestor, it's still hard to say for now."
"Hao Tian?"
Void Heaven sneered disdainfully, "Do you think Hao Tian went to the Kunlun Realm to protect Huaying Cangjie and help him recover his spiritual power? In my view, he's clearly scared—hiding in the Kunlun Realm, using the dying Huaying Cangjie to intimidate people like Ba'er and Lei Fa, afraid of ending up like Fengdu Dadi."
Well Daoist said, "Some people, being cowards themselves, assume everyone in the world fears death."
"Who are you implying?" said Void Heaven.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed, "If Hao Tian were a coward, he would never be able to step into the Half-Ancestor level. And once he becomes a Half-Ancestor, he will surely settle accounts with Murong Buhuo, Chongming Old Ancestor, and others first."
Feng Tian's expression was cold and detached, "What's the point of all this talk here? Who is willing to go with me to the Formless Realm?"
Well Daoist and Void Heaven both showed cautious expressions.
The Formless Realm was too dangerous. Just Qishier Pin Lian and that unknown sword cultivator were already terrifyingly powerful.
Moreover, the environment there was unique; barging in would put them at a great disadvantage.
Zhang Ruochen knew that Kong Fanni was Feng Tian's heart knot. If she couldn't untie it, her heart would never settle.
Zhang Ruochen said, "We really should take the initiative now. We can't keep being so passive. The Quantity Organization and the ancient powerhouses are causing chaos, yet we're always tied up. But going to the Formless Realm requires careful planning—at the very least, we need a Heavenly Venerable-level ally to accompany us."
Void Heaven said proudly, "Exactly. To destroy the Formless Realm, we must have a Heavenly Venerable-level strike. Zhang Ruochen, give me the Sword Source Divine Tree. I'll soon break through to the Heavenly Venerable level."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I know where the Sword Source Divine Tree is, but it's not yet time to retrieve it."
Whether it was the Sword God Temple or the Formless Realm, Zhang Ruochen knew they were both extremely dangerous. With his current cultivation, going to such places with Void Heaven would likely get them both killed.
He needed to advance his cultivation further and cultivate an Indestructible Dharma Body. Only then could Zhang Ruochen be fearless.
Void Heaven stared at Zhang Ruochen with a suspicious look, pondering how much of his words were true or false.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is Void Heaven doubting me? Don't forget, I saved everyone today. You all owe me a favor."
Void Heaven laughed heartily, "Don't talk about saving—it makes things distant! Today's matter counts as mutual cooperation. If I, this Heavenly God, and Feng Tian hadn't arrived at the Space Divine Temple, you'd probably be trapped inside, fallen into Kong Fanni's hands."
Zhang Ruochen thought of something and said, "You three seniors are well-traveled and knowledgeable. The being that Qishier Pin Lian mentioned, who has reserved my body—who could it be? Can you speculate a little?"
"Either the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable or Xumi." Void Heaven said casually, then suddenly showed great joy, "Maybe it really is Xumi's remnant soul—that would be quite the joke!"
Void Heaven grew excited.
"Don't listen to his nonsense."
Well Daoist said, "I, this Daoist, estimate that person must have a blood connection with you, but not in the lineage of Xumi and the Great Venerable. It could be that ancestor of the Blood Absolute Family, or perhaps an ancestor from Ling Yanzi's lineage."
Feng Tian said, "If that ancestor of the Blood Absolute Family's remnant soul still existed, possessing Xue Jue would be the best choice. So, I think you should be wary of Primordial Beings, especially the Primordial Hongmeng Beings. Their ancestors were born from Hongmeng, the very first and earliest beings, possessing all kinds of unimaginable means."
"According to some legends, Ling Yanzi herself was sent by Da Ming Shan to approach the Great Venerable back then, in exchange for peace between Da Ming Shan and the Primordial Beings. And Da Ming Shan has a deep connection with the Nether Ancestor."
Zhang Ruochen said, "But why hasn't he made a move yet?"
Feng Tian said, "Perhaps he thinks you're not strong enough yet. Of course, if that's the reason, it means he's already very powerful."
"Could it be related to the Fate Ancestor?"
Zhang Ruochen had heard the name of the Fate Ancestor many times.
Ten eons ago, the Great Venerable had even shattered the Destiny Temple. He always felt there was some connection.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Feng Tian's stunningly beautiful, pale side profile and said, "I think the Destiny Temple must be extremely dangerous right now. Don't go back for now. And don't risk going to the Formless Realm. Instead, go to White Clothes Valley or Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm first, refine the Purple Heart Heavenly Venerable Orchid, and advance your cultivation further. Then we can act."
Well Daoist saw Feng Tian lower her eyes in contemplation, unusually calm, clearly taking Zhang Ruochen's words to heart. He couldn't help but feel greatly shocked.
No wonder his senior brother thought Feng Caiyi would definitely not kill Zhang Ruochen. There really was some shady business here!
Even Feng Caiyi had been moved—strange things were too common these days.
Void Heaven was fuming, "Mind your own business about the Destiny Temple! Zhang Ruochen, what are your plans? When exactly will you take me to get the Sword Source Divine Tree?"
"I need to return to the Heavenly Court! We'll set off in ten thousand years. By then, I hope Void Heaven will find a few more helpers—that place is quite dangerous," said Zhang Ruochen.
Well Daoist showed a delighted expression, "Ruochen, let's go back to the Heavenly Court together. You have to testify for me—I, this Daoist, am irreconcilable with Old Ghost Void; we are definitely not on the same side."
Then, Well Daoist whispered to Zhang Ruochen, "Beware of Xu Fengjin. This old lecher has coveted Feng Caiyi for years. Don't let them be alone together—he's capable of any despicable act."
Void Heaven's eyes flashed with cold light.
Feng Tian's expression turned extremely ugly. She immediately struck out with a palm.
"Boom!"
Well Daoist took the hit, spat out blood with a "wow," and his body was sent flying thousands of miles.
Death Qi entered his body, turning his skin a grayish white.
Well Daoist tore open his Daoist robe, revealing a gray death-qi handprint on his chest.
He didn't bother refining the palm force and death Qi that had invaded his body. He called out to Zhang Ruochen, "Little friend Ruochen, let's go, let's hurry!"
Zhang Ruochen gave Void Heaven and Feng Tian a meaningful look and said, "Feng Tian, you should still be wary of Void Heaven. His reputation really isn't good. And because of Wu Yue's matter, Void Heaven has probably held a grudge against me all along."
Void Heaven cursed loudly, "What does it have to do with you? If I, this Heavenly God, wanted to take Feng Caiyi, I would have done it long ago. Who could stop me?"
"Xu Fengjin!"
Feng Tian roared in anger, her long hair turning into a nine-colored, ten-hued waterfall floating in the void.
With a loud crash, the Death Gate flew out from behind Feng Tian, standing between her and Void Heaven.
Void Heaven felt he had been set up by Well Daoist and raised his voice, "Second Brother, I will definitely explain to the world that you had nothing to do with that incident back then—you are innocent. This time, you didn't come to help me willingly either."
Well Daoist had already retreated to a distance of one Divine Spirit Step, ready to flee at any moment.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to leave, a deep, heavy voice rang out in the void, "None of you leave. Let's go to the Wuding Divine Sea together. Today, we destroy the Thunder Clan."
"Whoosh!"
Nutian Shenzun tore through space, his golden body towering ninety-nine zhang tall, blazing with anger flames, with Nether Qi gathering at his feet.
Void Heaven said, "What do you mean? Are you making a move against Lei Fa today? What happened?"
Feng Tian knew that Nutian Shenzun had gone to the Kunlun Realm to find Hao Tian earlier. Seeing him return in such a furious state, he must have learned some truths about the past, and it must be related to Lei Fa Tianzun.
Nutian Shenzun said, "This is a personal grudge between Lei Fa and me. If you all can lend me a hand, I, Kong Fannu, will remember this debt."
Void Heaven said, "We're all gods of the Destiny Temple—saying that makes it sound distant! I, this Heavenly God, have long wanted to flatten the Wuding Divine Sea. Since I'm holding a belly full of anger today, I'll take it out on the Thunder Clan!"
"Then let's fight!" Feng Tian said very decisively.
Zhang Ruochen frowned, "Shenzun once said that Lei Fa Tianzun is the master of the Thunder Dao and is invincible in the Wuding Divine Sea. Attacking him proactively like this might put us at a disadvantage, don't you think?"
Nutian Shenzun said, "Lei Fa can indeed borrow the momentum of the Wuding Divine Sea to unleash his master power. But with the Nine Cauldrons, we can definitely break that momentum. Ruochen, are you willing to help me?"
Seeing that Nutian Shenzun was still rational and hadn't lost his composure in anger, Zhang Ruochen nodded, "The Thunder Clan has deep cooperation with the Quantity Organization, ancient powerhouses, and the Ancient Demon Gods. They've ambushed and killed me many times. It's time they paid the price. Guixu is most likely a nest of ancient powerhouses—perfect to destroy in one go."
Void Heaven looked at Well Daoist, who had fled far away, and said, "Second Brother, come with us on the expedition to destroy the Thunder Clan."
"With your strength, destroying the Thunder Clan is more than enough. I, this Daoist, won't get involved!" Well Daoist retreated even further.
Void Heaven said coldly, "How can we fight the Thunder Clan with only us from the Hell Realm? You people from the Heavenly Court need a representative. Don't be afraid—what happened earlier is water under the bridge. I know you've long been restless, always wanting to make a big name for yourself. Come on, one battle will make you famous for eternity."