Chapter 3807: Split Up and Move Out
This matter was too significant; once it happened, it would surely turn heaven and earth upside down.
Even if the possibility was minuscule, it had to be taken seriously.
Zhang Ruochen dared not continue waiting, because Qingcheng Yun and Wuwei had been suppressed, and Jiusi Yitianhuang and the others might strike early; many actions might already be underway.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God recovered from the extreme shock and said, "Is it really this crazy? Has Jiusi Yitianhuang made up his mind to break with the Hell Realm? Is Beixi about to emerge? Why do I feel like the Calamity of Quantities is about to arrive?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "For Jiusi Yitianhuang, the only important thing is to cultivate the perfected Nine Lives Nine Deaths Yin-Yang Path and break through to the Half-Ancestor and Ancestor realms. Anyone or anything standing in the way must be destroyed."
"If it really is as we suspect, the Hell Realm might not survive," Bai Qinger said.
"Caution is the mother of safety. We must immediately send word to the major powers of the Lower Three Clans. Once they are on guard, it will be much harder for Jiusi Yitianhuang and his people to succeed," Xiu Chen Heavenly God said.
Ji Fanxin parted her lips slightly from the Heavenly Dao Flute, her gaze fixed on the empty and dark starry sky. "I feel an invisible force, as if it has severed time and space."
Zhang Ruochen took out a strand of hair and held it in his hand.
The hair burned, and he activated the Dream-Entering Great Art, attempting to pull Xue Jue War God, who was far away in the Blood Heaven Tribe Great World, into a dream.
But it failed.
Indeed, some invisible force was controlling everything. It wasn't that time and space were severed, but that the void was filled with endless darkness, devouring all the thoughts and divine power Zhang Ruochen released.
"It must be Jiusi Yitianhuang's doing. Damn it, this further proves that his scheme is vast, and he's afraid we'll leak it. Could it be that his true body is already on its way?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "No need to be so tense. Such a huge event just happened, and many powerful beings' gazes are surely fixed on the Darkness Temple. If Jiusi Yitianhuang came after me now, it would ruin their plans."
"Let's split up. Qinger, you need to go to the Blood Heaven Tribe."
Bai Qinger nodded. "I will inform Blood Absolute Clan Leader of this matter in detail. As for whether he believes it, I can't guarantee."
"Take my token; he will definitely believe you," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qinger asked, "What token?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
"What are you looking at me for?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God suddenly understood and said coldly, "Am I the token?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If Jiusi Yitianhuang and Beixi have already started taking precautions, it means your journey will be very dangerous. With Qinger's cultivation alone, she probably can't handle it. We need a strong one like you to escort her. As long as Jiusi Yitianhuang and Beixi don't make a move in person, who can stop you?"
Xiu Chen Heavenly God showed a proud expression. "That's true. If that's the case, I might as well go alone, instead of... heh heh..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone could hear her disdain for Bai Qinger, and she was also getting back at her for the earlier incident.
Bai Qinger remained calm, seemingly unbothered.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Not only will Qinger go with you, but you'll also take Yushi. Once you reach the Starry Sky Defense Line, Qinger will head to the Blood Heaven Tribe, Yushi to the Yama Clan, and you to the Shura Divine Temple."
Ten thousand years ago, in that battle, the ten-winged worlds of the Undying Blood Clan's ten tribes had been relocated to the starry region where the Starry Sky Defense Line was located. Once they reached that starry region, they would be safe and could split up.
Yushi asked, "Does Imperial Dust want me to inform Renhuan Heavenly Venerable?"
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment. "When you get to the Yama Clan, first discuss it with your master and listen to her opinion before seeing Renhuan Heavenly Venerable."
Zhang Ruochen could never fully trust the Yama Clan. With Wu Yue's intelligence, she would surely understand the situation better and could make a more accurate decision.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God pondered for a while, somewhat resistant. "Azure Deer God King might have been possessed by the remnant soul of the Ancestral Asura. Going to the Shura Divine Temple is too dangerous!"
"What are you afraid of? The Yama Clan has two top-tier powers stationed at the Starry Sky Defense Line. Even if Azure Deer God King wants to seize power, he wouldn't dare start a major fight," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said angrily, "You yourself have no confidence in the Yama Clan, yet you want me to entrust my life to them? Besides, if a world-shattering upheaval really happens, would Azure Deer God King still care about that?"
"Anyway, I'll at most go to the Undying Blood Clan. At most... at most, when I reach the Starry Sky Defense Line, I'll send a divine thought to Old Ni."
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment. "Alright, that works. But when you get there, you must ensure the safety of everyone in the Blood Absolute Family. Qinger, do you have something to say?"
"It's nothing urgent. I'll tell you when you return to the Undying Blood Clan."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God, Bai Qinger, and Yushi concealed their auras and left first.
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin exchanged glances.
Ji Fanxin said, "I'll go to Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm."
Zhang Ruochen sighed softly. "It's been so long since we last met. We should have had a proper reunion."
"Now is not the time for romantic entanglements. The situation with Bing Huang must be very critical, and he has shown you great kindness," Ji Fanxin said. She was always as tranquil as an orchid, looking at her like gazing at a mountain full of flowers, refreshing the mind and intoxicating the soul, impossible to extricate oneself.
"Fanxin!"
Zhang Ruochen suppressed his emotions and caught up with the departing Ji Fanxin. He took out the emerald leaf that Tai Shang had given him and placed it around her snow-white neck.
Then, holding her cheeks, he kissed her forehead deeply.
The fragrance entered his nostrils, making it impossible to let go, wanting only to keep her by his side forever, holding her in his arms.
Ji Fanxin raised her eyebrows slightly, then smiled sweetly. "You are now Imperial Dust, how can you be so frivolous? When Qinger was here earlier, you weren't like this."
"Xiu Chen also has a piece of emerald leaf like this. Nothing will happen," Zhang Ruochen said.
Ji Fanxin said, "Take your hand away. You should know I wasn't talking about the leaf... thing... hmm..."
Zhang Ruochen kissed her deeply on her red, crystal-clear lips, then held her tightly, as if trying to merge her into his body. He whispered in her ear, "Go to Rakshasa Divine City, not Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm. Send a message to Heavenly Mother about this. Don't take risks."
"You must conceal your form and not be discovered. If Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm shows any abnormality, such as the heavenly secrets being sealed, you can crush the emerald leaf around your neck. Another variable might arrive to help you."
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen vanished into the void and was gone.
...
Shortly after Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin left, a divine corpse tens of thousands of miles tall appeared in the starry sky outside Ice King Star.
It looked extremely ferocious and terrifying, with white hair flowing, each strand nurturing a world and flowing with corpse rivers.
The divine corpse was wrapped in thousands of snake-scale chains, holding a flaming war pillar taller than its body. The aura it released caused the cultivators on Ice King Star to kneel in fear.
If Zhang Ruochen were still here, he would recognize it as the Old Corpse Ghost sealed by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable.
Void Heaven stood on the Old Corpse Ghost's shoulder and shouted, "Let the gods on Ice King Star come see me!"
One after another, divine lights flew out from Ice King Star and landed below the Old Corpse Ghost.
They all bowed in unison. "Greetings, Void Heaven!"
"Where is Zhang Ruochen?" Void Heaven asked coldly.
The gods present were speechless. You, Void Heaven, are a Heaven-round Unflawed one; can't you deduce it yourself?
But they didn't know that Void Heaven had already tried to deduce and failed to find any trace of Zhang Ruochen's aura or location. He was feeling quite frustrated.
In ten thousand years, that kid's cultivation had improved too fast.
Azure Jade Tower stepped forward. "Imperial Dust asked me to convey two messages to Void Heaven. He said, please wait for him at the Starry Sky Defense Line."
"Wait? What is there to wait for? I've already waited ten thousand years. No matter how big the matter, it must be set aside now. My matter is bigger than the biggest thing!" Void Heaven said.
Azure Jade Tower lowered his head and dared not respond.
"What is the other message?" Void Heaven asked.
Azure Jade Tower said, "Imperial Dust hopes that Void Heaven can temporarily protect Ice King Star."
Void Heaven was not only powerful in cultivation; he quickly discerned the implications. "Zhang Ruochen went to find Bing Huang? Someone wants to kill Bing Huang? Where is Bing Huang?"
"We do not know," the gods said in unison.
Void Heaven said, "Even if you don't say, I can guess. White Cang Star, right?"
"We do not know," the gods said again.
"Of course you wouldn't know where White Cang Star is!" Void Heaven was very frustrated because he himself didn't know the exact location of White Cang Star. It was a secret known only to the highest-level gods of the Undying Blood Clan.
He felt that Zhang Ruochen was deliberately avoiding him, worried that if he also went to White Cang Star, he would lay hands on this planet representing the core interests of the Undying Blood Clan.
Void Heaven naturally knew about the grudges between Wubian, the Undying Divine Temple Hall Master, and Bing Huang, but he didn't think deeper. He just felt Zhang Ruochen was making a mountain out of a molehill.
On White Cang Star, Bing Huang should have the means to protect himself.
"No, that's not right. Why is he sending me to the Starry Sky Defense Line? Could there be more to this than meets the eye?"
Void Heaven's eyes suddenly turned serious. "Soul Slave, take Ice King Star. We're going to the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain."
After the battle at Buzhou Mountain and Wuding Divine Sea, Void Heaven realized that in this brutal era, one couldn't always fight alone. There were too many strong ones, and Heavenly Venerable-rank beings were emerging one after another.
Even Nutian Shenzun had to rely on the divine army left by Kong Yinxue.
Being exiled like Fengdu Dadi was still a good outcome; if one ended up like Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable, that would be truly terrible.
So, over the past ten thousand years, he had focused his efforts on the Old Corpse Ghost, cultivating it into a powerful ally.
...
Zhang Ruochen raced through the Void World, heading for White Cang Star.
He believed that since White Cang Star buried many gods of the Undying Blood Clan, those coming to besiege Bing Huang might not only be Wubian and the Undying Divine Temple Hall Master but also remnant souls of ancient powerhouses.
Whether it was the White Cang Blood Soil or those divine corpses, they would be enough to make too many strong ones covet them.
If the Hell Realm was about to cease to exist, who would still fear offending the Undying Blood Clan?
Who would care about breaking the rules?
No matter what, Zhang Ruochen had to go.
As for Void Heaven...
He hadn't directly told him his suspicions. First, because Void Heaven was already half-mad in his pursuit of breaking through, and might not listen to Zhang Ruochen's words.
After all, Zhang Ruochen himself thought the possibility of the Lower Three Clans being in turmoil simultaneously was low.
If Void Heaven forcefully took him to find the Sword Origin, it would be very troublesome.
Second, even if Void Heaven knew the truth, he might not be willing to wade into this muddy water. This old fellow cared about nothing but cultivation. He might even think this was a good opportunity to go find the Sword Origin.
Sending him to the Starry Sky Defense Line was because Zhang Ruochen believed that as long as the Shura Star Pillar Realm and the Ten-Winged Blood Bat World at the defense line remained stable, the Heavenly Court wouldn't act rashly, and the overall situation could still be controlled.
But Zhang Ruochen obviously couldn't predict that Void Heaven liked to play by his own rules and would go directly to the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
The Reader