Chapter 3867: Meeting with Shi Tian
On this day, a shocking piece of news spread from the desolate cosmic region of the Hell Realm.
In that star domain swallowed by darkness, someone had seen the Mighty Heaven War God appear alongside an old man.
The old man collected a handful of star dust and soil, tucked it into his bosom.
Then, they departed.
An old senior from the Bone Clan swore with certainty that it was the long-missing Yama Clan Patriarch, Yan Huanyu.
He was the elder brother of the deceased Heavenly Venerable.
Though merely a rumor, it quickly spread throughout the Hell Realm and even reached the Heavenly Court.
The gods of all major powers were in an uproar!
According to the rumors, wasn't Yan Huanyu supposed to have been killed by Yan Renhuan?
For this reason, the Yama Clan of the Outer Heaven had nearly fallen apart back then.
With the fall of Heavenly Venerable Renhuan and Yama Tai Shang's lifespan running short, various gods analyzed that the Yama Clan was about to decline, falling from the pedestal of the supreme clan. Some even believed that because they held too many resources and treasures, they would be carved up and annihilated.
This was the bloody law of the universe: the stronger one's strength, the more resources one could control.
Not being greedy led to mediocrity.
Being too greedy led to certain doom.
Many gods analyzed that the Rakshasa Clan was about to rise from the ashes thanks to their living Half-Ancestor, replacing the Yama Clan's position in the Hell Realm.
The resources in the universe were fixed and limited. For the Rakshasa Clan to rise, they could only seize from the other nine clans of the Hell Realm.
Whoever was weaker, whoever had poorer competitiveness, whoever's resources didn't match their strength—they would be the ones bled dry.
Heavenly Mother might do nothing, but the billions of cultivators of the Rakshasa Clan, with their billions of hearts, would surely ride the passion of rejuvenating their clan and, leveraging the momentum of the Half-Ancestor, sweep across the world.
But the appearance of the old man suspected to be Yan Huanyu immediately calmed those cultivators who harbored certain thoughts.
...
At the Green Deer Divine Hall on the Shura Star Pillar Realm.
Green Deer Divine King stood in the center of the spacious hall, his deer head raised, his gaze deep. "Yan Renhuan and Yan Huanyu—this double act of theirs has been performed for an entire Eon."
"At that critical juncture an Eon ago, one of them had to step back. Since the general trend of the Hell Realm was toward war and had become irreversible, Yan Huanyu naturally had no choice but to go into seclusion."
"Retreating behind the scenes and focusing on cultivation was actually an indirect way to keep the Yama Clan out of the storm's eye. Otherwise, what happened to Fengdu Dadi and the Rakshasa Clan would have surely befallen the Yama Clan first."
Gong Nanfeng sat lounging on the Purple Gold Divine Throne, lifting a steaming cup of tea. He blew on it, sending white mist scattering, then took a delicate sip.
"Not bad."
It was unclear whether he was commenting on the tea in the cup or on Yan Renhuan and Yan Huanyu.
Green Deer Divine King said, "If it really is Yan Huanyu, what level do you think his cultivation has reached after cultivating in seclusion for an Eon?"
Gong Nanfeng said, "What, still not giving up?"
Before the news arrived, Green Deer Divine King and Gong Nanfeng had been secretly discussing how to carve up the Yama Clan.
Some of the treasures hoarded by the Yama Clan were of great interest even to them.
The "Book of Life and Death" was just one of them.
Green Deer Divine King said, "I speculate that if Fengdu Dadi doesn't return soon, the next Heavenly Venerable of the Hell Realm will undoubtedly be Yan Huanyu. We must be on guard against him."
Gong Nanfeng said, "You should indeed be more on guard. Although what you did at the Shura Divine Temple was secret, as an ancient powerhouse, you are inherently not tolerated by the cultivators of this era. Even if you did it flawlessly, you would still be the first one everyone suspects. I don't have such worries—I'm just an artifact spirit."
Green Deer Divine King smiled. "Not worried at all?"
Gong Nanfeng immediately sat up straight. "Well, you are my weakness. If you end up like Lei Fa, wouldn't I be in danger too? How about you run away quickly? I can help you."
Green Deer Divine King pondered carefully. "In the battle at the Wuding Divine Sea, I struck against the Thunder Clan and captured the Thunder Ancestor. In the battle at the Shura Star Pillar Realm, if not for my help, would it have been so easy for them to suppress Luo Tuoluo? With these two battles behind me, I think the Heavens of the Hell Realm won't make a move against me before dealing with Huangquan Dadi."
Gong Nanfeng shook his head. "A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean floor. That doesn't just mean they're unfathomable—it also means they're petty. Hao Tian could tolerate Meng Ge, but Heavenly Mother may not be able to tolerate you. So, it's hard to say, hard to say."
Clearly, whether it was Green Deer Divine King or Gong Nanfeng, the one they feared most in the Hell Realm was only Heavenly Mother.
Green Deer Divine King gave a noncommittal smile. "And you? When are you going to make your move? The body you've set your sights on has already achieved Heavenly Round Perfect in spiritual power!"
Just then, Lan Ying entered the hall and reported, "News has come from Lihentian. The Mighty Heaven War God and the mysterious old man suspected to be Yan Huanyu went to the time-space where the Yan Realm once was. After that, they also made a trip to the Formless Realm. Now, their traces have disappeared, and their whereabouts are unknown."
After Lan Ying withdrew, Green Deer Divine King's expression grew much more serious. "I initially thought it might be the Yama Clan setting up a suspicious formation to protect themselves. But daring to go to the Formless Realm—it seems Yan Huanyu has indeed returned! What is he planning to do?"
"You should be happy instead!"
Gong Nanfeng clapped his hands in celebration. "Yan Huanyu is clearly telling the world that his top priority upon returning is to avenge Yan Renhuan. Watching the two Yans fight each other—wouldn't that be very interesting? I really hope Bone Yama jumps out now and fights Yan Huanyu. Haha!"
...
Zhang Ruochen, who was in the Yama Clan, naturally heard the news as well.
"Since Mighty Heaven War God has brought back the old Patriarch, Bone Yama probably won't dare to make a move on the Yama Outer Heaven. It's time for me to leave."
Zhang Ruochen, with ill intentions, went to see Yan Jun again and deliberately told him the news of Yan Huanyu's return.
"Zhang Ruochen, don't you want to know who is behind my father god? I can tell you, but you have to take me out of the Yama Outer Heaven first."
Yan Jun finally felt the threat of death.
If he stayed in the Yama Clan and waited for Yan Huanyu to return, he would surely die.
Leaving with Zhang Ruochen might give him a chance to survive.
Once outside the Yama Outer Heaven, it would be much easier for Bone Yama to rescue him.
There must be some connection between Yan Jun and Bone Yama. Zhang Ruochen dared not easily carry Yan Jun with him, as that would completely expose his whereabouts to Bone Yama's divine thoughts.
It would be better to leave Yan Jun to Yan Huanyu. With Yan Huanyu's methods, he might be able to use Yan Jun to deduce Bone Yama's location.
Moreover, Yan Jun was captured by Heavenly Venerable Renhuan in the first place and didn't belong to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen had already gained a great advantage by refining his flesh and blood to obtain blood energy and indestructible matter.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Forget it. Even if you don't tell me, I can probably guess."
"I can tell you where Bone Yama took the Yan Realm," Yan Jun said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Now that, I am somewhat interested in."
"Take me out of the Yama Outer Heaven," Yan Jun said.
Daiyue Zhenren and Baiyun Shenzu, who were guarding the Human Ancestor Banner, both became nervous. They were worried that Zhang Ruochen might fall for the trap.
Once they left the Yama Outer Heaven, many things would become uncontrollable.
Zhang Ruochen always felt that Heavenly Mother might be in the Yama Outer Heaven, so taking Yan Jun away wasn't entirely impossible. However, that would also make him the bait to lure Bone Yama into action, which would be very dangerous.
Yan Yu walked in quickly, glanced at Yan Jun, and said to Zhang Ruochen, "Shi Tian has come to visit the Yama Clan and specifically asked to see you."
Daiyue Zhenren snorted coldly. "Shi Bei Ya certainly knows how to read the situation. As soon as the old Patriarch's news came out, he came to the Yama Clan. In the past thirty years, he never came to help."
"Not seeing him."
Zhang Ruochen had long sensed Shi Tian's arrival at the Yama Clan, but he had no intention of meeting him.
Yan Yu said, "He said he knows where Bone Yama went."
"He can't possibly know," Yan Jun said.
"This is somewhat interesting."
Zhang Ruochen couldn't be bothered to deal with Yan Jun any longer and left with Yan Yu for the Heavenly Venerable Hall.
Shi Tian, dressed in a white robe, with a kind face and gentle eyes, sat calmly on the right-side seat in the hall.
There was no one else in the hall.
His aura was extremely strong. Even though his divine might was restrained, the Yama Clan gods guarding outside the hall looked tense and dared not breathe loudly.
Zhang Ruochen arrived, breaking Shi Tian's aura, and walked straight into the hall.
The first time he saw Shi Tian, the evaluation of him by Desolate Heaven Hall Master involuntarily surfaced in Zhang Ruochen's mind.
"Although he has cultivated a flesh-and-blood body, he walks the path toward death, with a cold heart and devoid of emotions and desires."
...
Shi Tian opened his narrow eyes, his gaze falling on Zhang Ruochen. "You shouldn't have handed Yu Jingzhen over to Jiu Tian."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Mother of Weak Water, the Father of the Thunder Clan. Just because he is the Young Lord of Weak Water?"
Shi Tian shook his head. "No matter how deep the blood feud between the Holy Clan and the Weak Water Clan, Yu Jingzhen only had Jiu Tian as a friend since childhood. Their bond was genuine. You made Jiu Tian personally kill his close friend, who was like a brother to him—that was too cruel! You could have done it yourself."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Senior Jiu Tian is Heavenly Round Perfect, not a fragile child. Letting him escape would be worse than letting him face it. I believe he can overcome this level of blow."
Zhang Ruochen now had the qualification to stand on equal footing with Shi Tian, so he showed no politeness. He continued, "Anyone can say the word 'cruel,' but what right do you, Shi Bei Ya, have? Weren't you just as cruel to Desolate Heaven Hall Master and White Queen? If not for you, how could White Queen have ended up like that? You failed the trust Desolate Heaven Hall Master had in you."
Shi Tian was directly responsible for the misfortune of Bai Qinger and Desolate Heaven.
Shi Tian showed no displeasure at Zhang Ruochen calling him by his name. Instead, he fell into thought.
"If you've come only to complain about Yu Jingzhen and to scold me, then I won't keep you company."
Zhang Ruochen made as if to leave.
Shi Tian suddenly said, "Do you know why Inverse God Heavenly Venerable destroyed the Weak Water Clan back then?"
Zhang Ruochen stopped.
Shi Tian said, "The world says that Inverse God Heavenly Venerable destroyed the Weak Water Clan to take the Weak Water and make the Heavenly River to protect the Heavenly Court. This is actually a slander against Inverse God Heavenly Venerable! These people don't even know where the Weak Water was back then."
Zhang Ruochen was now interested. He hadn't expected Shi Tian to speak up for Inverse God Heavenly Venerable.
Shi Tian said, "Water exists in the real world and is the source of life."
"Weak Water exists in the Void World and is the nectar of death. There is Weak Water in the Santu River, and the Santu River itself is connected to the Weak Water in an unknown place, inseparable."
Zhang Ruochen had already read in ancient texts that Weak Water existed in the Void World, so this wasn't surprising.
Shi Tian continued, "The Weak Water Clan are all liquid demons, without a fixed form. Only when they reach the Infinite Realm can they take human form."
"Each generation of the Mother of Weak Water can refine the entire Weak Water into her body, mastering all its power. In an era without a great cultivator to match her, the Weak Water would even surge out of the Void World, flooding all realms and reaping countless souls."
"Accumulated over generations, the Weak Water's strength far exceeds your imagination."
"An Eon ago, if not for the Weak Water protecting the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Court would no longer exist!"
Zhang Ruochen still had no good impression of Shi Tian, but he sat down. "Is Shi Tian telling me the reason why the Weak Water Clan had to be destroyed?"
"No!"
Shi Tian shook his head. "Aren't you curious about how the Weak Water Clan came to be? Aren't you curious about the story of Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable and the Mother of Weak Water?"
"I'm generally not interested in the stories of the dead," Zhang Ruochen said.
Shi Tian said, "Don't you want to know why Bian Zhuang back then would rather let Xu Tian and Feng Tian escape from the Heavenly Court than let the Heavenly River be lost?"
"The Mother of Weak Water isn't dead?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Shi Tian said, "To be precise, the soul of the Weak Water is not extinguished. Thirty years ago, when the Dark Weirdness emerged, the Heavenly River showed an anomaly—a woman's weeping resounded through the Heavenly Court for three days and nights before stopping. You should know about this."
Zhang Ruochen pondered. "Is the Weak Water Clan connected to the Dark Weirdness?"
Shi Tian nodded. "No one in the world understands the Weak Water and the Weak Water Clan better than I do. The first generation Mother of Weak Water must have been cultivated by the Dark Weirdness. The Weak Water is one of Its methods for reaping the souls of all living things in the universe to nourish Itself."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is this the real reason Inverse God Heavenly Venerable destroyed the Weak Water Clan?"
"Correct. Unfortunately..."
"Unfortunately what?"
Shi Tian said, "Inverse God Heavenly Venerable's strength was still lacking. He only left behind the Weak Water but couldn't keep the Luo Water. The Luo Water, carrying the resentful spirits of the Weak Water Clan, hides deep in the Void World and has become a major scourge for the real world."
Zhang Ruochen had a guess. "The Luo Water you speak of—is it the legendary divine river that flows in the Void World?"
"The Luo Water and the Weak Water have always coexisted, both deeply connected to the Dark Weirdness," Shi Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I'm curious—why do you call that river the Luo Water? Is it because the 'Luo Book' of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization is said to have come from this divine river?"
Zhang Ruochen had found records of that divine river in the Void World in ancient texts from the Destiny Temple and the Yama Outer Heaven, but it had never been named.
"Not because of the 'Luo Book,' but because of Luo Tuoluo," Shi Tian said meaningfully.
Zhang Ruochen frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Before Luo Tuoluo became a Shura, she was called Luo Shen, the daughter of Wa Huang," Shi Tian said.
This time, Zhang Ruochen was genuinely surprised.
Shi Tian said, "Wa Huang was both one of the Nine Great Ancestors and the foremost among them. She cultivated the Witch Path but personally ended it, ushering in the era of Qi Refiners. The 'Luo Book' she left behind even developed the Daoist lineage."
"Looking at all the Primordial Ancestors throughout history, Wa Huang can definitely be ranked in the top three."
"In that era, even the Immortal had to be wary of Wa Huang. They could only use underhanded methods to deal with her—for example, by targeting her daughter."
"Luo Shen's heart did not move, but when it moved, she became a Shura."
"Luo Shen was deceived by the Dark Weirdness into giving her heart, step by step falling into becoming a Shura, becoming the Mother of Shura. There was no longer a Luo Shen in the world, only Luo Tuoluo."
"The word 'love' is the most harmful. In ancient times, there was Luo Shen; today, there is Lei Fa."
"Now you should understand why I had to help Tian'er cut off love and desire, right? White Queen's existence was his greatest weakness. Once exploited, he would fall into eternal damnation."
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a long time, then smiled. "Although you are the North Cliff Stone of Weak Water and have experienced countless ages, you can't possibly have memories spanning all those ages, can you? Are these all your speculations?"
Shi Tian said, "My speculations are all well-founded. No one understands the Weak Water, the Luo Water, and the Dark Weirdness better than I do."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then let me ask you this: Are you, Shi Tian, also a person of the Dark Weirdness?"
Shi Tian stared intently at Zhang Ruochen. "I am a spirit born from the North Cliff Stone of Weak Water, but I was never valued and couldn't integrate into the Weak Water Clan. That's why I chose to leave. Otherwise, I wouldn't have undergone nine self-cuttings to cultivate."
Zhang Ruochen said, "An Eon ago, on the eve of Xumi Saint Monk's fall, you must have met Qishier Pin Lian, right?"
"I did meet her."
Shi Tian knew that Zhang Ruochen had already learned many past events from Da Fantian and Desolate Heaven, so he admitted it frankly. "It was Qishier Pin Lian who told me that the felling of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was a scheme of the Heavenly Court, a trap. That's why the gods of the Hell Realm didn't rashly charge into the Kunlun Realm but launched attacks from outside the realm."
"But I didn't expect that the gods of the Heavenly Court also didn't rush to the Kunlun Realm to ambush."
"Only later did I understand that her goal was not to help the Hell Realm, nor to deal with the Heavenly Court, but to kill Xumi."
"If the Kunlun Realm was breached, the realm would be destroyed and its people annihilated. Xumi Saint Monk would have no reason to stay. If he wanted to leave, the gods of the Hell Realm would have had a hard time stopping him."
"So, only by keeping the Kunlun Realm could they force Xumi to sacrifice himself for all living beings."
"How poisonous a woman's heart can be! I think Xumi's final sacrifice was meant to use his death to dissolve the hatred in her heart. Zhang Ruochen, you see now—ruthlessness doesn't necessarily make a hero, but love never kills the loveless."
Zhang Ruochen knew that Shi Tian was deliberately steering the topic toward Xumi Saint Monk's death to downplay his connection with Qishier Pin Lian.
But Zhang Ruochen's emotions were still affected. He recalled witnessing Xumi Saint Monk's fall on the River of Time, and his hatred for Qishier Pin Lian was hard to suppress.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, calming his mind. "So, why have you come to the Yama Outer Heaven to tell me all this in person?"
"Because the Dark Weirdness has emerged!"
Shi Tian continued, "Qishier Pin Lian broke into the Pangu Realm to seize the Five-Colored Clay Figure and then rescued Luo Tuoluo. This must be part of some scheme."
"You are the only one who can simultaneously mobilize Hao Tian, Yunshen Daozhu, Wen Tianjun, Nutian Shenzun, Heavenly Mother, and other powerhouses. If they join forces, they can break into the Void World, find the Luo Water, and then locate the hidden Qishier Pin Lian, Luo Tuoluo, Bone Yama, the mysterious sword cultivator, and others, capturing them all in one fell swoop."
Shi Tian's words contained several major traps.
First, he was testing whether Wen Tianjun had truly returned.
Second, Zhang Ruochen knew well that Bone Yama, Qishier Pin Lian, and the others were definitely not of the same faction and couldn't possibly be hiding in the Luo Water.
Third, he was also testing whether the battle between Hao Tian, Heavenly Mother, and the Dark Weirdness had already ended.
Zhang Ruochen stood up. "Thank you, Shi Tian, for telling me all this. I will find a way to inform Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian. But the Void World is vast and boundless—finding the Luo Water is no easy task. Do you, Shi Tian, have a way to locate it?"
Shi Tian gently shook his head.
"It seems this matter will require further deliberation."
Zhang Ruochen said, "By the way, I have a son named Chuan Zong, who is currently cultivating at the Stone Divine Hall under Desolate Heaven Hall Master. I ask for your care, Shi Tian. There are many cultivators in the world who want to deal with me, Zhang Ruochen. I don't want him to end up like Kunlun. He is my only remaining son! The Stone Divine Hall isn't the Space Divine Temple, is it?"
Shi Tian's mouth twitched.
This was almost a threat!
If Zhang Chuan Zong met with an accident at the Stone Divine Hall, was Zhang Ruochen planning to repeat the massacre he carried out at the Space Divine Temple?
...
Because the time in the book has moved forward, the familiar time node of "one hundred thousand years ago" has been changed to "an Eon (one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years) ago."