Chapter 3823: Divine Corpse Visits
Southern Universe, Demon God Realm.
With the emergence of the "Demon Ancestor Ridge," the Demon God Realm had become unprecedentedly active and tumultuous. Cultivators from the demon clans across all realms of the Southern Universe came to pay homage, filling the skies with birds and the lands with beasts.
The Demon Ancestor Ridge was the legendary place where the Demon Ancestor attained the Dao.
In his later years, the Demon Ancestor merged the Ancestor Realm he had cultivated with the Demon Ridge.
After the Demon Ancestor's death, the Demon Ancestor Ridge vanished.
Three thousand years ago, the Demon Ancestor Ridge manifested in the sky above the Southern Sea of the Demon God Realm, emitting overwhelming demonic aura, releasing ten thousand kinds of radiant light, and showering down azure light rain.
All demon cultivators within the Demon God Realm felt their cultivation advance, as if their bodies were being tempered and their souls nourished.
Many demon cultivators whose cultivation had reached a critical point broke through their bottlenecks one after another.
The strongest expert of the Demon God Realm, the Chongming Old Ancestor, whose head was covered in colorful feathers, stood atop Taibai Peak at the northern end of the Demon Ancestor Ridge in human form, gazing at the yellowish-brown star river in the universe.
Behind him stood a large group of powerful demon beings: the Houtu War God "Four Unlike," the Phoenix Clan Chief "Feng Jiutian," the Black Tortoise Clan Chief "Wu Zhen," the Peacock Heavenly Queen, the Golden-Winged Roc King...
Each and every one was a being at the God King or God Venerable level, radiating immense power. A single stomp of their feet would shake the entire Southern Universe.
The Black Tortoise Clan Chief, half-human, half-beast in appearance, bore a tortoise shell on his back and had a dragon-snake coiled around his neck. He said, "The Heavenly Mother is indeed the proud disciple of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. With a Half-Ancestor emerging in this era, she can suppress all enemies. I wonder how our Heavenly Venerable will respond?"
The Golden-Winged Roc King let out a cold snort of dissatisfaction.
Previously, disturbances had occurred in both the Rakshasa Clan and the Starry Sky Defense Line. It had been a perfect opportunity for the Heavenly Court Universe to counterattack the Hell Realm. The demon gods had already assembled, waiting only for the Heavenly Venerable's decree to immediately charge into the Hell Realm.
Unexpectedly, that Heavenly Venerable, for reasons unknown, ordered that no one should act on their own, wasting a rare opportunity that came once in hundreds of thousands of years.
Now that the Heavenly Mother had broken through to the Half-Ancestor realm, who would dare attack the Hell Realm?
A Half-Ancestor of this era could single-handedly dye a stretch of the sky red with blood.
The Peacock Heavenly Queen, her body flowing with colorful rays and her eyes bright and intelligent, said, "The Heavenly Venerable's wisdom is vast and his vision far-reaching. There must be a reason for such a decision. King Roc and Clan Chief must not harbor resentment."
The Golden-Winged Roc King said, "How would I dare resent the Heavenly Venerable? It's just... the Heavenly Venerable's unclear relationship with the Seventy-Two Lotus, yet he offers no explanation. I doubt his stance. Even if you leak this, I would say the same to his face."
The demon giants present naturally all claimed, "Words do not leave the Demon Ancestor Ridge, and secrets are not shared with others."
The Phoenix Clan Chief said, "The Old Ancestor has decreed that all gods who can be spared from the various realms of the Southern Universe should gather at the Demon Ancestor Ridge. However, those two from the Heavenly Dragon Realm did not come at all. The Demon God Realm is the ruling world of the Southern Universe, and the Old Ancestor is its sovereign. Isn't this too disrespectful of the rules?"
"What rules?" The Black Tortoise Clan Chief sneered. "They have already broken through to Indestructible Infinite, and there are two of them at that. Why should they still heed the commands of the Demon God Realm? In the near future, who knows if they might replace the Demon God Realm?"
"Wu Zhen!"
The Chongming Old Ancestor directly called the Black Tortoise Clan Chief by his name, his divine eyes locking onto him.
The Black Tortoise Clan Chief immediately felt immense pressure and dared not speak further.
The Peacock Heavenly Queen said, "The Heavenly Dragon Realm likely has little interest in the power and benefits of the Southern Universe. Perhaps one day, they will leave the Southern Universe altogether."
The assembled demons all understood the Peacock Heavenly Queen's implication.
After a moment of silence, the Golden-Winged Roc King gazed toward the starry region where White Desolation Star was located and said, "The sacred land of the Undying Blood Clan has been hiding at the edge of our Southern Universe all along. Why not take this opportunity to mobilize the army and seize it? And while we're at it... hmph!"
"What, King Roc wants to make an example of Zhang Ruochen?" The Phoenix Clan Chief showed an interested expression.
The Golden-Winged Roc King said, "Don't forget how Yan Wuque died."
The demons' gazes all turned to the Chongming Old Ancestor.
After all, Yan Wuque was the Chongming Old Ancestor's man.
The Chongming Old Ancestor said, "Since the Heavenly Mother has broken through to the Half-Ancestor realm, it seems the Heavenly Court will not go to war. You may all return! These are troubled times. Fortifying your own mother realms, strengthening your own power, and diligently cultivating are the most important things. The Demon God Realm and I will always be your solid backing."
The demons exchanged glances. In the end, they did not bring up the matter of attacking White Desolation Star again and took their leave one after another.
After the demons left, Four Unlike said, "The Yunshen Daozhu has the highest spiritual power in the world, and the Heavenly Mother has broken through to the Half-Ancestor realm. They still want to deal with Zhang Ruochen? They truly don't know their place."
The Chongming Old Ancestor's granddaughter, the current clan chief of the Chongming Bird Clan, Snow Elder, said, "Zhang Ruochen's current strength is probably not inferior to Indestructible Infinite. How easy is it to deal with him? That old thing, the Golden-Winged Roc King, has ulterior motives. I wonder what he's plotting."
"What could he be plotting? Nothing more than using the Yunshen Daozhu or the Heavenly Mother's hand to kill the Old Ancestor, so he can seize the Demon Ancestor Ridge."
A gloomy voice sounded.
Following that, a mysterious demon cultivator, completely wrapped in a black robe, appeared on Taibai Peak.
He had no legs but instead grew a long tail, his entire body exuding a decaying deathly aura.
The Chongming Old Ancestor asked, "How is the altar construction progressing?"
The mysterious demon cultivator said, "Eighty-seven layers have been built. It's almost complete! Once we summon the Demon Ancestor back, the Demon God Realm will surely regain its glory, and we will no longer need to fear anyone."
Four Unlike, Snow Elder, and the others showed delighted expressions.
The Chongming Old Ancestor, however, remained calm and composed. His gaze returned to the starry sky. "Shang Tian is heading toward White Desolation Star!"
...
The star region where White Desolation Star was located was now adorned with dazzling divine rays, covering billions of miles of void.
Starry mist churned, and divine light was breathtakingly beautiful.
Shang Tian stood within the radiance, his divine robe resplendent, his beard and sideburns flowing, exuding a celestial aura as if he were the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.
Zhang Ruochen stood within a massive Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, facing him. "The one who has come is Shang Tian's divine corpse, I presume?"
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse had a temperament completely different from the demon corpse—peaceful and vast, with a smile on his face. He nodded and said, "It seems the Imperial Dust has been waiting for me. Speak, what must be done to release the demon corpse? Any condition can be negotiated."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "This condition is not easy to negotiate! You and I share an irreconcilable enmity. It took great effort to suppress the demon corpse. Releasing him would be like letting a tiger back into the mountains. In the future, when all three of your corpses come together, how could I possibly be a match?"
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse remained smiling. "The Imperial Dust should know that the consciousness of our three corpses is independent, correct? As long as I erase the demon corpse's consciousness and then merge the divine and demonic, the resentment on him will naturally disappear."
"The enmity the Imperial Dust speaks of should refer to the karmic debts planted by cultivators of the Shang Clan faction, such as Shang Yao, Xuan Yi, Yi Tianjun, Duotian Divine Emperor, and Shang Zihong, correct?"
"To be honest, Shang Yao is the demon corpse's daughter, and Xuan Yi is also the demon corpse's disciple. As for Yi Tianjun, Duotian Divine Emperor, Shang Zihong, and the like, they are descendants of the Yuan Corpse."
Zhang Ruochen showed a look of realization. "So you are alone and unattached."
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse seemed unable to detect the suspicion in Zhang Ruochen's words. "We have no direct grievances. If you hand over the demon corpse to me, from now on, there will be no enmity with the Shang Clan. We are both steadfast comrades who regard the Quantity Organization as our greatest enemy."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, you plan to take down the Yuan Corpse as well? Do you have the strength for that?"
"Once the divine and demonic merge, I will surely break through to the middle stage of Indestructible Infinite. The Yuan Corpse will no longer be my match."
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse added, "I can hand Shang Yao over to you! Of course, this is just a token of goodwill. The real terms of the transaction are entirely up to the Imperial Dust."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Oh? You brought the Yao God Venerable here?"
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse moved his divine thought.
"Swoosh!"
The former Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Palace, Yao God Venerable, appeared beside the Shang Tian Divine Corpse. She stood one meter eighty tall, clad in Radiant Divine Armor, her waist, abdomen, and straight legs as white as jade—undoubtedly a top-tier beauty.
But whenever she struggled to exert force, Radiant Talisman Chains would appear on her body, sealing her cultivation and mobility.
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse said, "I deeply detest the cultivators of the Quantity Organization. You may dispose of her as you wish!"
Blood Butcher licked his lips, his eyes gleaming. He deeply realized the benefits of powerful cultivation. A God Venerable beauty was delivered directly without him needing to lift a finger. Was this the kind of transaction the Heavens made?
Chi Kongle and Yan Ying'er both showed looks of disgust.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Now I am somewhat inclined to believe that she is not your daughter! However, since you can gift her to me as a token of goodwill, it seems you have already extracted everything useful from her. What use do I have for her?"
"Senior Brother, a token of goodwill is something you take without hesitation. That's a God Venerable angel, and she's really beautiful. Look at those two long, white legs—touching them would definitely be extraordinary. Even Xia Yu doesn't have that, right?" Blood Butcher said.
Xia Yu said coldly, "If you don't know how to speak, keep your mouth shut, or I'll cut out your tongue."
"No wonder Senior Brother can't stand you," Blood Butcher muttered under his breath.
...
Zhang Ruochen raised his voice. "If you want to give a token of goodwill, why not answer a question that has been on my mind?"
"Speak freely, Imperial Dust," the Shang Tian Divine Corpse said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Among your three corpses, which one is collaborating with the Seventy-Two Lotus?"
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse's pupils contracted slightly. As he was thinking, suddenly, the space before him trembled slightly.
Zhang Ruochen in the distance had vanished.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen stepped out of space a thousand zhang away from the Shang Tian Divine Corpse.
It wasn't that Zhang Ruochen didn't want to directly break into the Shang Tian Divine Corpse's vicinity, but the latter's Rule Divine Marks densely filled heaven and earth, forming their own domain, making direct crossing impossible.
Zhang Ruochen's figure flickered within a thousand-zhang range. After seven consecutive leaps, he finally entered within eighteen zhang of the Shang Tian Divine Corpse.
The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.
The Shang Tian Divine Corpse remained unflustered, as steady as a mountain. "It seems the Imperial Dust has no intention of negotiating."
The Demon Ancestor Ziwu Axe appeared in Zhang Ruochen's right hand, Yin and Yang Qi flowing over it. The demonic killing power emanating from the axe blade shattered the Shang Tian Divine Corpse's protective divine light, slashing straight toward his neck.
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