Chapter 3801: On the Sea
Ten thousand years had passed, and both the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court Universe had rebuilt their defenses along the shores of the Wuding Divine Sea. Although no large-scale war had broken out, friction was constant.
Moreover, both sides had Heavenly Venerables stationed there.
Beneath a blue sky and white clouds, a divine ship, shrouded by a concealment formation, flew above the sea surface, speeding forward.
Xiao Hei, wearing a bamboo hat, stood proudly at the bow with his arms crossed. "After the Thunder Clan gods fell, one branch was taken away by Yin Yuanchen to establish their own realm, calling it the Yin Realm. That kid has quite the ambition—he wants to become the founder of a clan!"
"The Thunder Clan isn't completely wiped out yet. At least we can't be certain that the Thunder Duke is dead," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Hei showed no reverence, sneering, "If they don't kill the Thunder Duke, does that old bastard Qing Cang dare to oppose the entire Hell Realm? Harboring a mere Er Daren has already made many people unhappy!"
"Perhaps the Thunder Duke is already dead. We'll only get the definite answer once we reach the Hell Realm."
Zhang Ruochen finished refining a large red kasaya and tossed it to Xiao Hei. "Put this on?"
"I am a venerable god of this era—why would I wear that?" Xiao Hei said with a cold, mocking smile.
Xiao Hei's spiritual power had surpassed his martial cultivation, reaching the eighty-fifth rank, making him a true god venerable.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This is the kasaya that Pina Yejia wore when he attained enlightenment."
"Shua!"
A black shadow flashed.
In an instant, the kasaya was on Xiao Hei. It was covered in Buddhist patterns with wide sleeves, clashing terribly with his black bamboo hat, making him look utterly ridiculous.
Xiao Hei said excitedly, "Look, isn't it a perfect fit?"
"Black Uncle only experienced forty-two lifetimes in the Saha World, so clearly, you have no affinity with Buddhism. But now... are you going to cultivate the Buddhist path?"
Throughout the journey, Zhang Chuanzong had been excited, admiring the magnificent scenery of the Wuding Divine Sea, until now, when his gaze fell on Xiao Hei.
"Something's wrong!"
Xiao Hei became alert, looking at Zhang Ruochen. "For no reason, you suddenly give me such a treasure—what exactly are you plotting?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "What kind of relationship do we have? Would I have ulterior motives? Don't forget, you were able to reach your current cultivation so quickly because of the sundial, because of the divine pills I refined, because I took you to Lihentian and helped you with the Wuji Divine Dao. Did I have ulterior motives for doing all that?"
"I've been running back and forth between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm all these years, doing plenty of hard and dangerous work, risking my life!" Xiao Hei felt that Zhang Ruochen was acting strange today.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you want the kasaya or not?"
"I want it—why wouldn't I?"
Xiao Hei stepped back, afraid Zhang Ruochen might snatch it back.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have no ulterior motives, but I do have one thing I need you to do."
"As long as it's not taking him to the Stone God Temple, I might consider anything else."
Zhang Ruochen said, "You guessed right—it's exactly that."
"No way. Such a big matter—I can't take responsibility. If something goes wrong, who's to blame? Besides, Desolate Heaven might not be willing to take a disciple. You know his personality, don't you?
"And whose son is Chuanzong? He's not Bai Qinger's son—would Desolate Heaven accept him as a disciple? No, no, you go yourself!"
As he spoke, Xiao Hei began to take off the kasaya.
But halfway through, he couldn't bear to part with it and slowly put it back on, muttering, "When you gave it to me, you didn't mention any conditions."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I'm sure you'll find a way."
"What way could I possibly have?"
The smile on Zhang Ruochen's face disappeared. "This matter is settled. Once we cross the Wuding Divine Sea, we'll go our separate ways. What I have to do is extremely dangerous—are you sure you want to come with me?"
These last words blocked the refusal Xiao Hei had been about to utter.
Zhang Chuanzong walked up to Xiao Hei, beaming. "Black Uncle, I have faith in you too. When I was little, didn't you tell me that there's nowhere under heaven or earth you can't go, and nothing you can't do?"
Xiao Hei let out a long sigh toward the sky. "Fine, but the Hell Realm is very dangerous right now. I've heard that many ancient powerhouses who have descended into this era are hiding in the Santu River. There are also some primordial beings that have infiltrated the Hell Realm. The Hell Realm now is even more chaotic than the Heavenly Court. Anyway, you have to follow my lead and not act on your own."
Zhang Ruochen sensed something and looked toward where the western sea met the sky.
There, dark clouds were thick, and divine power fluctuations spread in all directions.
The calm sea surface churned with huge waves, and the wind was as sharp as a blade.
"Such intense dark force—could it be a god from the Darkness Temple chasing after Aunt Han?" Zhang Chuanzong said.
"Indeed, a formidable character."
Xiao Hei extended a finger, pointing straight at the sky.
"Crack, crack!"
It was as if space was violently rubbing together. A ten-thousand-mile grand formation condensed, suppressing that thick mass of dark clouds.
The divine ship beneath them vanished from its spot.
When it reappeared, it was already within the dark clouds.
The one suppressed by Xiao Hei's Space Divine Formation was the Darkness Temple's Grand Void Great God, "Ye Hou." He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, wearing a black robe with a front closure, looking like a human scholar, but his face was covered in strange black patterns.
After being suppressed, his legs directly transformed into a serpent's tail, and his entire body grew black scales.
"Who are you people? Do you know who my master is?"
Although Ye Hou was inwardly shocked, amazed by the other's formation mastery, he remained relatively calm. After all, the Hell Realm had Heavenly Venerables stationed at the Wuding Divine Sea. Even if a Heavenly Court god king or god venerable wanted to move against him, they would have to consider the consequences.
"How could I not know who your master is? Wu Wei, right? There's nothing I don't know."
Xiao Hei seized Ye Hou and, with a bang, threw him onto the divine ship's deck, where he rolled to Zhang Ruochen's feet.
The moment Ye Hou saw Zhang Ruochen, his face turned ashen.
Heavenly Court gods feared starting a war and indeed wouldn't dare kill him easily, but Zhang Ruochen was an exception.
Ye Hou wanted to self-destruct his divine source, but Xiao Hei immediately suppressed him, forcing his mental thoughts back, causing his entire body to convulse.
Zhang Ruochen didn't pay attention to Ye Hou. His gaze was fixed on the water below the divine ship, and he said softly, "Come out, it's me."
"Splash!"
A tall figure in a black robe flew up from beneath the water and landed on the divine ship.
She was severely injured, her black robe torn in many places, with three wounds on her body that wouldn't heal on their own, still oozing blood.
But even with such serious injuries, she knelt on one knee and said weakly, "Thank you, Master... thank you, Imperial Dust, for saving my life."
"Rise," Zhang Ruochen said.
The black-robed woman had just stood up when Zhang Ruochen struck her with a palm from a distance, sending her flying backward.
The dark battle qi that had invaded her body flew out from her back in wisps.
A pure and thick life force surged into her body.
When she landed on the ground, her injuries had already healed.
The black-robed woman found that even her damaged divine soul had been fully restored. Overjoyed, she was about to bow to Zhang Ruochen again when she found she couldn't kneel—space seemed to have frozen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "How did you end up at the Wuding Divine Sea? Where is your master?"
The black-robed woman was Yu Shi, Wu Yue's disciple. She held a withered wooden divine staff, her long hair still wet, and said respectfully, "Master went to the Yama Clan to cultivate, to avoid Jiusi Yitianhuang. I don't know what Master sensed, but she sent me orders to dispatch people to investigate various information about the Lower Three Clans and the Wuding Divine Sea."
"Encountering Ye Hou at the Wuding Divine Sea was purely coincidental."
"Imperial Dust should be aware that after the Darkness Temple took over the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, they have been using all their strength in recent years to clear out the forces under Master's control. Almost all the gods under Master have died. If I hadn't encountered you today, I probably wouldn't have escaped."
Yu Shi bit her lip, her emotions sorrowful, clearly having witnessed many separations between life and death over the years.
"Bang!"
Xiao Hei kicked Ye Hou hard. "Don't worry, the Darkness Temple's good days are numbered. By the way, why did Wu Yue go to the Yama Clan?"
"The Yama Clan has a Heavenly Venerable stationed there and the most complete spiritual power cultivation scriptures—how could Master not go?" Yu Shi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Was it an invitation from the Heavenly Venerable, or did she go on her own?"
"It should have been an invitation from the Heavenly Venerable. Back when the Ancient Desolate Ruins City fell, Jiusi Yitianhuang withdrew with the Darkness Temple. To control the situation, the Heavenly Venerable sought out Nutian Shenzun to resist the Twelve Ancient Clans. It was during that meeting that the Heavenly Venerable invited Master," Yu Shi said.
Zhang Ruochen nodded in understanding and handed her a spiritual power divine pill. "What exactly happened in the Lower Three Clans and the Wuding Divine Sea? Have you found any results from your investigation?"
Yu Shi could tell the divine pill was extraordinary and didn't dare take it, shaking her head gently. "No major anomalies so far."
"Take it. You are Wu Yue's disciple, so naturally, you are also my disciple," Zhang Ruochen said.
A barely controllable joy appeared on Yu Shi's face. She knew that this famously powerful figure had truly accepted her master, no longer in the mutually exploitative relationship of before.
With such a backer, her future actions in the Hell Realm would be much easier.
Zhang Chuanzong, refined but not reserved, stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Senior Sister, I am Zhang Chuanzong. In the Heavenly Court, I've long heard your name."
Yu Shi looked bewildered, turning to Zhang Ruochen.
"Just call him junior brother," Zhang Ruochen said.
After sealing Ye Hou, Zhang Ruochen directly handed him over to Yu Shi to deal with.
"This is strange. Even though Ye Hou has been suppressed, the black clouds here haven't dispersed—they're getting thicker," Xiao Hei said.
He released his eighty-fifth-rank spiritual power and executed a thunder-type divine technique. Instantly, a hundred-zhang-wide lightning river slashed out, cutting into the darkness.
The black clouds were parted layer by layer by the lightning river, but it seemed endless. Finally, all the light was devoured by the darkness again.
Even a god-venerable-level power couldn't break through the clouds here.
Xiao Hei's face changed dramatically. "This is bad, Zhang Ruochen. What do we do now?"
"You leaked your aura just now. How could the master of this place not come to meet us?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Hei was stunned. "There's a master of this place?"
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, extending his right arm and gently waving his hand.
It was as if the entire world was being waved, shaking violently.
The black clouds disappeared layer by layer, revealing a ten-thousand-mile-long white mountain range behind them.
Within the white mountain range were nine divine lamps.
Wherever the lamplight shone, everything vanished, leaving only gray death qi and endless void.
No.
That wasn't a mountain range—it was a dragon, a bone dragon spanning north and south, overwhelming time and space.
The Death Clan's number one war god, Xuangu Jiulong Shen.