Chapter 3870: Ghost City Strange Affairs
Zhang Ruochen naturally had a certain degree of confidence in dealing with the crisis in Wuchang Ghost City.
He did not only cultivate spiritual power; he also took heaven and earth as his teacher, using the Wuji to evolve a new heaven and earth first-rank divine path, which allowed him to go further in formations, alchemy, artifact refining, and other aspects than spiritual power cultivators of the same realm.
However, this was his bargaining chip for negotiating with Feng Tian.
If Feng Tian did not come to see him in person, how could he possibly make a move?
Feng Tian wanted to become the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple. Not only did her cultivation realm need to be high enough, but she also needed to win the support of the masses. Although she had undergone nirvana and rebirth, transitioning from death to life, she was originally born from the Corpse Clan, making it easier for her to gain the support of the Middle Three Clans.
But the strange blood spring that surged from the Origin Divine Temple was something she had brought to the Santu River region.
If the strange blood spring corrupted the Santu River region and damaged the habitat of the Middle Three Clans, the enraged cultivators of the Middle Three Clans would not only refuse to support her but might even turn all their spearheads against her.
Moreover, externally, Corpse Ancestor and Huangquan Dadi were exerting their influence on the cultivators of the Middle Three Clans.
With internal and external troubles, how could Feng Tian continue to hold her ground in the Santu River region?
She would probably be driven out of Fengdu Ghost City by the cultivators of the Middle Three Clans.
After all, Corpse Ancestor and Huangquan Dadi, relying on their transcendent status as ancient ancestors, had already secretly gathered a large number of followers.
Their greatest obstacle now was the Death Overlord sitting atop the World Tree—Feng Tian.
...
Inside the Ten Thousand Buddhas Formation, silver-white light scattered gently, and the ground was covered with sandalwood grass and orchids.
Bore had her long hair tied up in a bun, her eyes like stars and moons. She sat cross-legged under a Xutuohuan Silver Tree, her fingers pinched like orchids, and behind her, circles of sacred Buddhist rings manifested.
At this moment, she possessed a Buddhist charm that was not inferior to that of the Cihang Fairy.
Zhang Ruochen cut his right index finger and, using his own divine blood, drew a bright red cinnabar dot on her pale white forehead.
If any other deity were present, they would realize that this drop of divine blood cinnabar was like a vast ocean, boiling and surging.
"Guard your heart, go and experience the mysteries of the Paradise Realm, and communicate with the ancestral Buddha's secrets. As long as your realm is comprehended, I can help you quickly improve your cultivation, physical body, and divine soul."
Zhang Ruochen flicked his finger against her crown.
Bore's tightly closed eyes caused her eyelashes to tremble slightly.
"Chi chi!"
The divine blood cinnabar on her forehead emitted streaks of blood-colored light marks, flowing in all directions like the root tentacles of a divine tree, reaching out to touch the ancestral Buddha's secrets in the Paradise Realm.
After doing all this, Zhang Ruochen tapped the gui ruler at the center of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Formation.
A large number of time imprint light spots flew out, condensing into a formation spirit in the form of Venerable Wu.
"Master, what are your orders?"
The formation spirit knelt on one knee, extremely respectful.
"Guard Bore well, and do not allow any cultivator to enter."
Zhang Ruochen left the Ten Thousand Buddhas Formation and returned to the Black Wuchang Divine Temple, finding Gong Nanfeng, who was using the Celestial Pivot Needle to deduce.
"What are you looking for?"
Zhang Ruochen came behind him.
Gong Nanfeng looked at the Celestial Pivot Needle placed on the table and scratched his head with a sigh: "I wanted to deduce the good and bad fortune of what's to come, but the Celestial Pivot Needle gave no indication. Could it be because my cultivation is too weak?"
The Celestial Pivot Needle was a divine artifact refined by the Destiny Ancestor.
Destiny has twelve phases, so the Celestial Pivot Needle naturally has more abilities than just finding people and objects; it can also inquire about heavenly secrets, determine good and bad fortune, and know calamities and blessings.
Of course, compared to the "Destiny Heavenly Book," the Celestial Pivot Needle's greatest use is still in finding people and objects.
"Let me try."
Zhang Ruochen channeled the divine energy within his body, letting it flow from his fingertips into the Celestial Pivot Needle.
The ancient texts and inscription patterns inside the Celestial Pivot Needle emerged one after another, flickering on its surface.
Then, it swayed left and right, spinning continuously.
A strange light flickered in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He wanted to take this opportunity to release his spiritual power and silently probe the inner workings of the Celestial Pivot Needle.
But as soon as this thought arose,
a voice in his subconscious seemed to tell him that he could not do this. Doing so would be very dangerous.
This was a kind of foreknowledge that Zhang Ruochen had gained after cultivating the Wuji Divine Path.
"Why would probing the Celestial Pivot Needle be dangerous?"
Zhang Ruochen ultimately trusted this intuition and did not release his spiritual power to probe.
He withdrew his divine energy, stopped activating the Celestial Pivot Needle, and frowned: "To deduce good and bad fortune, it seems I still need to use the 'Destiny Heavenly Book.' This Celestial Pivot Needle... hmm, its use is probably limited."
"What?"
Gong Nanfeng immediately retorted: "This is a divine artifact left by the Destiny Ancestor. How remarkable the Destiny Ancestor was, haven't you heard? Hmph! I think it's because the heavenly secret on you is too great, so with your cultivation, you cannot deduce it."
He seemed to think of something and said: "I've heard that no matter how strong a spiritual power cultivator is, it's easy to deduce others, but difficult to deduce oneself."
Zhang Ruochen did not argue with Gong Nanfeng and said: "I remember you once told me that you are the ninety percent spirit split from the Celestial Pivot Needle's artifact spirit, cultivating a physical body to survive the Eon Calamity for the artifact spirit?"
"Yes, the Eon Calamity is about to descend!" Gong Nanfeng said nonchalantly.
Zhang Ruochen said: "For the Celestial Pivot Needle's artifact spirit to use this method of extending life, the Eon Calamity you face must be very terrifying, right?"
"Of course it's terrifying. The Eon Calamity the Celestial Pivot Needle's artifact spirit is about to undergo is probably the twentieth time... maybe more, maybe less, I can't remember clearly!" Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Can you survive it?"
Gong Nanfeng said: "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "If you can't survive, you'll die. Die in place of the artifact spirit?"
Gong Nanfeng slumped like a deflated ball, collapsing onto the chair. After a long silence, he said: "I was born to die in its place! I once thought I could defy fate, but as the Eon Calamity draws nearer, the feeling of powerlessness in my heart grows stronger."
"Fighting against heaven... no one has ever won."
"If I die, remember to burn paper money for me every year."
Gradually, Gong Nanfeng became optimistic again.
Zhang Ruochen said: "You should have stayed under the sundial to cultivate..."
"Cultivating under the sundial makes the Eon Calamity come faster, okay? Chen, you want to harm me." Gong Nanfeng jumped up from his seat.
Zhang Ruochen said: "I can use the Wuji Divine Path to help you. It won't improve your cultivation much, but at least it will be useful."
Gong Nanfeng was moved and said: "You are the Imperial Dust, yet you can consider so much for a weakling like me. I am extremely grateful. How about you help me get the one percent spirit sleeping inside the Celestial Pivot Needle out, and let it bear the Eon Calamity? You use the Wuji Divine Path to help me avoid the heavenly secret?"
"If it undergoes the Eon Calamity, then naturally I won't have to!"
The Celestial Pivot Needle's artifact spirit's spirit, Gong Nanfeng accounted for ninety percent.
The remaining ten percent slept inside the Celestial Pivot Needle to avoid the sensing of heaven and earth and escape the Eon Calamity.
After the Eon Calamity, whether Gong Nanfeng lived or died, that ten percent spirit would awaken and usher in a new life.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Then wouldn't the Celestial Pivot Needle have no artifact spirit?"
"You're thinking about that?" Gong Nanfeng looked incredulous.
Zhang Ruochen smiled: "Better the friend die than the self die. That is a method. But is this method useful?"
"Who knows? We can only try! Anyway, you must help me. When the Eon Calamity is near, I will definitely come to find you." Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen said: "We'll talk about that when the time comes! I need to go out for a while. Do you want to come along?"
"Where to?"
Gong Nanfeng caught up with Zhang Ruochen.
...
The Santu River region had no day or night, only eternal gloom.
In the sky, there were stars as big as moons hanging, presumably someone's Star Soul Divine Throne. But due to the thick yin mist and rising death energy, the light they emitted was extremely faint, unable to illuminate the night.
The yin mist fell like fine rain, making the air very humid.
Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng arrived at the northern city wall of Wuchang Ghost City. The black mud and waste soil were barren, with only bones half-buried in the ground and stagnant water accumulated in low-lying areas.
Compared to the south, the north was much quieter.
Cracks had appeared in the southern city wall, leaking strange blood springs, and most cultivators had gathered there.
To the north, the camp guarding Wuchang Ghost City was built a hundred miles away, with sparse lights.
Further away, on the yin mountain, stood the majestic White Wuchang Divine Temple, like white jade piled up, emitting a heart-stopping divine might.
"You want to enter Wuchang Ghost City?" Gong Nanfeng was shocked.
Zhang Ruochen said: "I observed and deduced earlier. The cracks in the southern city wall of Wuchang Ghost City are most likely not caused by the corrosion of the blood spring, but may be man-made."
"Divine Venerable Mingye is guarding over there. Who could destroy the ghost city's city wall and formation without anyone noticing? Besides, Wuchang Ghost City is now a true death zone. Even Divine Kings and Divine Venerables dare not enter."
Gong Nanfeng was a little scared and advised: "Don't go in! Everyone is saying now that this strange blood spring here is related to the Dark Calamity. Once you touch it, you will surely encounter disaster."
"Shh!"
Zhang Ruochen made a silencing gesture and looked behind him.
In the dim yin qi and ghostly mist, a white, graceful figure flashed out. She seemed to be walking through the air, her body moving freely in space, and finally stopped under the formation light curtain outside the northern city wall.
She was a very tall white-clothed beauty, seemingly around twenty years old, young and full of vitality.
The white clothes on her body only symbolically wrapped her round, full peaks, leaving large areas of jade-like skin exposed. Her neck was slender, her collarbone sexy, and on her bare arms, she wore three bone bracelets on each side.
What was most eye-catching were her straight legs, covered in a white mesh.
Such sexy and alluring attire was extremely rare among deities, and she was no ordinary deity. Her aura was almost completely concealed, even merging with the rules of heaven and earth.
She was another Infinite of Wuchang Ghost City.
In Zhang Ruochen's eyes, the White Wuchang Venerable Lord He Qing was completely exposed.
But Gong Nanfeng seemed unable to see clearly. He squinted and said in a low voice: "Who is that? Surrounded by a white ghostly mist. Although blurry, her figure is extremely exquisite, and she is dressed very coolly. Doesn't she know that the Romantic Sword God is right in front of her? Is she trying to seduce someone?"
"Don't gossip." Zhang Ruochen said.
After observing her surroundings, He Qing did not find Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng, who were hidden in the spiritual power field. Her soft, boneless snow-white jade arm pressed against the formation light curtain.
The six bone bracelets on her wrist revealed profound and complex ancestral patterns. Gradually, her palms sank into it, and her body followed her in.
Zhang Ruochen carefully examined the ancestral patterns on the bone bracelets, showing a thoughtful expression.
"Damn, someone actually dares to enter Wuchang Ghost City." Gong Nanfeng said.
"It is indeed seeing a ghost. It seems we will have an unexpected gain today."
Zhang Ruochen took Gong Nanfeng directly through the formation light curtain, and then, with a flicker of his body, arrived on the city wall of Wuchang Ghost City.
Among all the ghost clan cities, Wuchang Ghost City ranked second, second only to Fengdu Ghost City. The city stretched eighty thousand miles from north to south and one hundred and twenty thousand miles from east to west. The buildings were dense, with stone forts, stone towers, halls, tree houses... stretching as far as the eye could see.
In the current Wuchang Ghost City, all the streets and alleys had turned into crisscrossing blood rivers, with only the tops of the buildings still exposed.
The air was filled with thick blood mist and ghost qi.
Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power to probe, but the spiritual power tentacles extended for hundreds of miles before being eroded by the strange power contained in the blood mist.
Zhang Ruochen immediately withdrew his spiritual power and released the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal to protect himself and Gong Nanfeng.
"The blood spring here is indeed of the same origin as the dark strange. How much blood did the Immortal shed in the Origin Divine Temple? Sword Ancestor was indeed extraordinary back then, no wonder he became one of the few people who could fight the Immortal and still escape." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Gong Nanfeng searched the city and said: "Gone! Where did she go? Did you sense it?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head gently.
"Use the Celestial Pivot Needle to locate her!" Gong Nanfeng suggested.
"I brought you here to verify the Celestial Pivot Needle's actual use."
Zhang Ruochen took it from his hand and held it in his palm.
The Celestial Pivot Needle turned and soon locked onto a direction.
"Let's go!" Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said: "Not yet. Release your divine soul. I need to make another deduction."
"You are a Tianyuan Wuque, and you still need my divine soul's help to deduce a He Qing?"
Just now, Zhang Ruochen had told Gong Nanfeng the identity of the woman who had broken into Wuchang Ghost City.
Gong Nanfeng's divine soul could serve as the artifact spirit of the Celestial Pivot Needle.
With the artifact spirit's assistance, the Celestial Pivot Needle's deduction would be more accurate.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's serious expression, Gong Nanfeng immediately understood and said: "I know. You suspect that there is an even more powerful figure hidden in Wuchang Ghost City."
Gong Nanfeng immediately released his divine soul and merged it with the Celestial Pivot Needle.
Zhang Ruochen deduced again.
The Celestial Pivot Needle swayed several times before finally pointing in the same direction as before.
This time, Zhang Ruochen no longer waited. He converged his aura within a zhang, holding the Celestial Pivot Needle in one hand and lifting Gong Nanfeng with the other, leaping across the tops of various buildings.
Even with Zhang Ruochen's ninety-step spiritual power, he was afraid of being eroded by the strange power, so he was not worried about being sensed by He Qing's divine soul.
Because releasing the divine soul would still be corroded.
According to Zhang Ruochen's analysis, with He Qing's Qiankun Infinite cultivation, she dared to enter Wuchang Ghost City because the six bone bracelets on her wrist could block the erosion of the strange qi from the blood spring.
Getting closer, Zhang Ruochen did not want to alert He Qing. Using the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal to protect his body, he sank directly into the strange blood spring, which was originally a street but had now turned into a blood river, completely concealing his aura.
The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, one above and one below, propped up a small world about a zhang in size.
Outside the small world, everything was blood red.
"Do we need to be so cautious? Can this diagram seal of yours withstand the corrosion of the blood spring?" Gong Nanfeng was both worried and a little excited. This was too thrilling!
He Qing, with wisps of white ghost qi, landed on the top of the tallest building in Wuchang Ghost City, the Tongtian Tower.
The Tongtian Tower was eight hundred zhang high, itself like a city within a city.
The top of the tower was an open observation deck. Standing here, one could see both the starry river in the sky and the Origin Divine Temple dozens of miles away.
From the temple, blood waterfalls continuously flowed down, pouring into Wuchang Ghost City.
A man with disheveled long hair and a tall, robust figure walked out of the tower, his hands behind his back, standing in the shadows, and said: "Why are you here?"
He Qing's black-and-white eyes stared at the burly figure in the shadows, showing a hint of wariness, and said: "The Great Emperor sent me. He is very dissatisfied. Why haven't you made a move yet? You promised before."
The burly figure walked out of the shadows, revealing a face carved by knives and axes, full of demonic and masculine charm, and said: "Hasn't this seat already made a move? Otherwise, how could the blood spring in Wuchang Ghost City have overflowed?"
"The Great Emperor's meaning is to completely destroy Wuchang Ghost City." He Qing said.
This burly figure sneered, his gaze moving from He Qing's feet, along her legs, to her slender jade waist, and then upward, and said: "Unexpected, truly unexpected. The esteemed He Qing Divine Venerable, in order to please this seat, is dressed so sexily. Is this your own desire to seduce me, or is it the will that Huangquan Laogou has imposed on you?"
"As long as you destroy Wuchang Ghost City immediately and let the strange blood spring flow into the Santu River, the reason doesn't matter!"
He Qing walked in front of the burly figure, displaying her perfect figure without reservation, but she did not approach him at all.
Unless he agreed to her conditions first.
"Didn't the Supreme Pillar name me by name? Now, this venerable one is right in front of you. As long as the Supreme Pillar fulfills his promise to the Great Emperor, this venerable one will certainly satisfy all of the Supreme Pillar's demands."
This burly figure was the third pillar of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods, Gai Mie.
Gai Mie's eyes were fixed on He Qing, as if admiring, and as if he could see through everything, and said: "Recently, this seat has absorbed too much blood qi, and my energy is abundant, with nowhere to vent. Your arrival at this time is no different from a sheep entering a tiger's mouth."
"Shua!"
Gai Mie's figure flickered, and he had already grabbed He Qing's left arm.
He Qing's face changed, and she wanted to escape, but it was already too late.
Gai Mie stood behind her, his other hand caressing He Qing's cheek, and said: "Women are really dispensable to this seat. But those who deliver themselves to my door, this seat will never let go."
He Qing's delicate body went from a slight tremor to gradually calming down. She raised her chin and said: "As long as the Supreme Pillar stops delaying and makes a move quickly, everything is acceptable. Otherwise, delays will lead to changes. Zhang Ruochen has already left Yama Heaven Outer Heaven, and his next stop is likely the Santu River region... Ah..."
Amidst Gai Mie's loud laughter, on the observation deck, came the beautiful sounds of a woman, sometimes short, sometimes long.
Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng, hiding in the blood spring under the Tongtian Tower, exchanged a glance, both feeling incredulous.
He Qing was a figure at the Divine Venerable level. To please Gai Mie, she had dressed like this and come to meet him.
Gong Nanfeng said: "He Qing is the Dao partner of Divine Venerable Mingye. Divine Venerable Mingye is not a bad person. We should have stopped her earlier... ahem, it's all because Gai Mie acted too fast... How did the Supreme Pillar get his name? Forget it, one is willing to strike, the other is willing to endure. What does it have to do with us? Chen, do you have the confidence to defeat Gai Mie? Now is a good opportunity!"
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a long time before saying: "After all, Huangquan Dadi is the most powerful ancestor in the history of the Ghost Clan. Too many Ghost Clan cultivators regard him as their faith and are willing to work for him. Moreover, his Dao techniques are too attractive to Ghost Clan cultivators!"
Gong Nanfeng said: "Do you think He Qing willingly sacrifices herself for Huangquan Dadi's great cause of regaining control of the Ghost Clan?"
"Otherwise? Does she want to become the Supreme Pillar's wife?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng said: "That's also possible! Listen to this voice, there is no reluctance at all... Forget it, it's really annoying to hear! Chen, can you deal with Gai Mie? If you can't, let's leave quickly and go invite Feng Tian."
"Do you think we can still leave?"
Zhang Ruochen did not know what level Gai Mie's combat power had recovered to, but Gai Mie was the Supreme Pillar, and his realm was at least at the Heavenly Venerable level.
Relying on the concealment of the strange blood spring, even if he encountered an Indestructible Infinite initial stage, Zhang Ruochen was confident he could hide from the other party's perception at close range.
But with the realm attainment of a Heavenly Venerable and the divine soul sensing of a Heavenly Venerable, how could it be hidden?
The distance was too close!
Zhang Ruochen cursed inwardly. This Gai Mie knew they were lurking nearby, yet he still pulled this stunt. He was simply lawless.
Gong Nanfeng's expression grew more and more awkward, and he said: "What do we do now? Stay or leave? Or jump out and scare them? I'm just an artifact spirit. Anyway, I'm not afraid of death, and no one will kill me. How about I go up and attract Gai Mie's attention?"