Chapter 3882: Saint Musician
With the Gate of Death entering his body, scenes of realm annihilation, living beings burning, seas of blood surging, and towering mountains of bones appeared in Zhang Ruochen's sea of consciousness, as if he were experiencing them firsthand, as if he were immersed within them.
The impact of that deathly power on his spiritual consciousness caused Zhang Ruochen's head to ache as if splitting, his body swaying unsteadily, and the meridians all over his body to bulge.
Several hours later, Zhang Ruochen's various negative emotions finally subsided.
Feng Tian had been guarding under the Sword Ancestor Divine Tree all along, the wind rustling through the leaves, red leaves fluttering.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen stand up again from the ground, she felt an inexplicable tremor within. According to her estimation, Zhang Ruochen would need at least several months to withstand the impact of the Gate of Death and the endless deathly power.
After all, this was the power of her lifelong cultivation of the Death Path, reaching the level of the middle stage of Indestructible Infinite. And Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had not yet stepped into Indestructible Infinite.
Feng Tian's face was calm and unruffled, she said, "Hard to endure, isn't it? But you must know, the power of the remnant soul of the Life Ancestor might be far more terrifying than the Gate of Death, posing an even greater test to your spiritual will."
"For you, breaking through to Indestructible Infinite is the top priority right now. Breaking through to Indestructible Infinite will allow your divine soul's strength to leap in a short time, enabling you to face the upcoming life-and-death challenges."
"I understand!"
Zhang Ruochen also wished to break through to Indestructible Infinite.
But, he was always missing something. The condensed Small Derived Central Palace was extremely unstable, with abundant yang energy, enough to burn his body.
Now, with the Gate of Death and fifty percent of the Death Esoterica, he could try again, perhaps suppressing that body-burning yang energy.
Mu Lingxi and Blood Butcher had already left the White Impermanence Divine Temple. Zhang Ruochen straightened his sleeves, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Most cultivators in the world are selfish. In this turbulent and dangerous situation, for Feng Tian to go this far, Ruochen is extremely grateful. I offended you greatly before in Wuchang Ghost City, please forgive me, Feng Tian."
Feng Tian stood sideways, her red robes fluttering in the wind, and said, "You are the Imperial Dust, I cannot bear such a bow from you. You'd better not think that I am doing this because I am infatuated with you. The Death God Venerable is without emotion or desire."
"Lending you the Gate of Death temporarily, I also have selfish motives; it is not without compensation. First, you must help me refine the Corpse Ancestor Moli and the strange blood spring in Wuchang Ghost City, helping me enhance my blood qi and indestructible matter, preparing to impact the peak of Indestructible Infinite."
Zhang Ruochen said, "I myself would not allow the Corpse Ancestor Moli and the strange blood spring to exist. However, Feng Tian probably cannot fully absorb this blood qi, right?" Feng Tian completely ignored him and continued, "Second, what I want to be is not the Death God Venerable or the Death Overlord, but the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple, pursuing the Ancestor Realm. The Death Path dominates alone. Having the Gate of Death inside my body has always restricted my comprehension of the other eleven aspects of Fate. But if I strip it away, I worry it will develop an independent consciousness and eventually rebel against me."
"Lending it to you temporarily undoubtedly solves a big problem for me."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Feng Tian is not afraid that I won't return it? Absorbing the Gate of Death will surely greatly improve my cultivation, and in the future, I will be the Death Overlord."
"Just a mere Gate of Death. If you, Zhang Ruochen, only have this much ambition, you will never step into the Ancestor Realm in the future." Feng Tian said.
The phoenix's beak is undoubtedly the hardest part of its body.
But Zhang Ruochen understood her intentions, and he was naturally moved.
Walking through this world, if you can meet even one person who will wholeheartedly consider your safety, it is a life well-lived.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen had met more than just Feng Tian.
This was precisely why Zhang Ruochen loved this world, respected life more and more, and was willing to protect this realm from destruction by the Calamity of Quantities. Even though this world was not perfect, full of darkness and evil.
I don't know how long the silence lasted. Feng Tian said, "I think that Qi Tian staying in Fengdu Ghost City is far safer than going anywhere else. Of course, if you want to take him away, you must first solve the hidden danger of Wuchang Ghost City for me. Only then can I give an explanation to the gods of the Destiny Temple."
These words had lingered in Feng Tian's heart for too long, and today she finally spoke them.
...
The Wolf Badger Monarch, an upper-level god of the Death Clan, possessed a human body but had both a wolf head and a badger head. His towering, iron-tower-like physique stood on a Bone Divine Ship, sailing towards Wuchang Ghost City against the wind.
This Bone Divine Ship was forged from three layers of divine bones stacked together, with a total of six decks.
Below were the divine bones of the Undying Blood Clan.
In the middle were the divine bones of a Dragon God.
Above were the divine bones of a Wolf God.
This ship was magnificent, making other ships on the Santu River look like fishing boats and small sampans.
White bones hung with ghost lanterns, and death flags fluttered in the wind.
Kui Liang Huang sat in an elegantly decorated hall on the sixth deck of the Bone Divine Ship. The walls were hung with calligraphy and paintings, curtains and bead screens, incense burners emitting misty smoke, and divine lamps of a dark blue color.
Suddenly, the wind blew out the candle.
A figure appeared on the curtain.
But upon closer inspection, behind the curtain was completely empty, with no form. This shadow was projected from somewhere unknown.
Kui Liang Huang suddenly opened his eyes, immediately stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed respectfully to the figure on the curtain: "Greetings, Life Ancestor!"
"Luo Can, what are you doing in Wuchang Ghost City?" the figure said.
Kui Liang Huang said, "Ba Er and Qishier Pin Lian ask, when will the Life Ancestor take Zhang Ruochen's life? Now is the best time for possession. If we don't act, once Tian Lao returns, there will be no more opportunity."
"They are even more anxious than I am!"
The figure let out a low laugh, then said, "I am very curious. In your heart, Luo Can, who is the orthodox successor of the Destiny Temple, me or Ba Er?"
Kui Liang Huang lowered his head, his eyes shifting slightly, and said without hesitation, "The Life Ancestor is the founder of the Destiny Temple, naturally the orthodox one. Ba Er and I are merely juniors."
He then added, "Although Ba Er's cultivation is strong, he once attached himself to the Great Demon God, merging Fate with the Demon Path. This has turned the great path into a small path, cutting off his own road, making it impossible for him to achieve the Ancestor Venerable position."
"The Life Ancestor is different."
"Once the Life Ancestor possesses Zhang Ruochen, he will surely merge the twelve aspects of Fate into the First-rank Divine Path, and the Ancestor Realm is within reach. Luo Can is not foolish; he knows how to choose. The Life Ancestor need not doubt my loyalty."
"Is that so?"
The figure said, "But in today's world, only Ba Er has the chance to deal with Tian Lao. Only with Tian Lao's fall can you smoothly take over the Rakshasa Clan, making up for the resentment that has been building in your heart."
"What resentment is there? I have long since ceased to covet the mere throne of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom. Following the Life Ancestor, pursuing the higher path of Fate, and restoring the glory of the Destiny Temple—that is what Luo Can seeks." Kui Liang Huang said humbly.
The curtain swayed, and the figure on it became eerily distorted. After a long silence, the figure said, "You go tell Ba Er and Qishier Lian that Wuchang Ghost City is now my core interest, and they must not interfere. Also, go warn Huang Quan Great Emperor that I need a stable Santu River basin next. Only when the external environment is calm enough will Zhang Ruochen and Feng Caiyi let down their guard, allowing me to possess him more calmly."
"Luo Can accepts the order!"
Kui Liang Huang said, "Possession is dangerous, with the conflict between life and death qi being intense. Should the Life Ancestor take the Life-Death Lamp?"
"Are you testing my strength?" the figure said.
Kui Liang Huang quickly said, "Absolutely not! It's just that Zhang Ruochen is a peerless genius, rising from humble beginnings, having faced life and death many times. His spiritual will is far stronger than that of ordinary cultivators."
The figure snorted coldly: "To possess just a Zhang Ruochen, I don't need the Life-Death Lamp. Soul Devourer, you have actually broken through to Indestructible Infinite, which impresses me."
The Soul Devourer Lamp was one of the Twenty Heavens of the Hell Realm, shaped like a sedan chair, round on top and square on the bottom, with four sides each bearing a strange picture.
They were the "Ten Thousand Ghosts in the Pine Forest," "Axe Splitting the Azure Sky," "Abyss Burying the Heavenly Maiden," and "White Bones Sitting on the Wilderness."
Illuminated by the internal light, the four pictures were lifelike.
The Soul Devourer Lamp was about two meters high, located in the northeast corner. Through the light and the scrolls, one could faintly see the artifact spirit inside condensed into a human form, with a gaunt outline and a beard.
An aged voice came from the lamp: "The rules of heaven and earth have changed. Breaking through to Indestructible Infinite has become easier. If not for this, with my ability, how could I have hoped to glimpse the Infinite?"
Kui Liang Huang said, "Feng Caiyi, the Five Dragon God Emperor, Ji Wang, and the Blade Venerable have all broken through to Indestructible Infinite one after another. It can be seen that the rules of heaven and earth are undergoing earth-shaking changes, and the end of the Calamity of Quantities is not far off."
The figure on the curtain said, "Although you have stepped into the Infinite, Zhang Ruochen has already broken through to Heaven Round No Defect. You cannot hide from his perception. You go with Luo Can to Wangming White Bone Ridge. Don't disrupt my plan."
"Respectfully obeying the Life Ancestor's decree."
Kui Liang Huang and the figure in the lamp bowed their heads at the same time.
After the figure on the curtain disappeared, the two raised their heads again.
The tone of the figure in the lamp was no longer as respectful as before: "This Life Ancestor is too suspicious!"
Kui Liang Huang relit the Life-Death Lamp, which had gone out due to the Life Ancestor's arrival, and said slowly, "Suspicion shows a lack of confidence in one's own strength. This precisely exposes his inner weakness!"
The figure in the lamp said, "But when dealing with the Lord of Yunshen Island back then, I witnessed his power. With him driving the Soul Devourer Lamp, just one blow severely wounded the Lord of Yunshen Island, turning him into spiritual mist."
Kui Liang Huang said, "At that time, you were only at the peak of Great Unbound Infinite. How much did you know about the power of the Indestructible Infinite realm? Besides, Hua Ying Cangjian was already mentally exhausted from setting up the Starry Sky Grand Formation to block the Yellow Spring Star River. It wouldn't be hard to severely wound him with a sneak attack. I could do it too."
"And thirdly, this Life Ancestor's remnant soul has been back for too long; he is already at his limit. The more decrepit he becomes, the more his power declines. I guess he simply cannot survive the next Eon Calamity, which is why he cultivated Zhang Ruochen as a new vessel."
"Calculating from the time of his last Eon Calamity, his next one is not far off."
"If I am not mistaken, when the Eon Calamity arrives, that will be the day of his possession. This way, the Eon Calamity destroys the old body, allowing him to deceive heaven and earth and gain a new life." The figure in the lamp said, "I think there is another reason why the Life Ancestor has not possessed Zhang Ruochen all along. He is guarding against us! If Zhang Ruochen is too weak, his cultivation after possession will naturally be weak too. Wouldn't it be easy for us to deal with him then?"
Kui Liang Huang laughed, "It's not guarding against us, it's guarding against you. You are the Soul Devourer Lamp, after all. The soul you most want to devour is naturally the Life Ancestor's soul. An artifact spirit devouring its master is the highest achievement."
The figure in the lamp did not confirm or deny, saying, "Since the Life Ancestor's remnant soul's Eon Calamity is approaching, this is definitely a golden opportunity. Should I really obey his orders and leave just like that?"
Kui Liang Huang's eyes narrowed, and he said coldly, "Your courage is not small. Without my help, with your cultivation, can you hide from the perception of the Life Ancestor, Zhang Ruochen, and Feng Caiyi?"
"Then please, Liang Huang, grant me a talisman to conceal the heavenly secrets! If the great deed is accomplished, there will be a generous reward." The figure in the lamp said. Kui Liang Huang paced in the hall. Suddenly, his gaze passed through the half-open window and saw a divine ship on the Santu River flying a flag with the character "Shi." He said, "With my ninety-second level spiritual power, a talisman I refine can indeed help you deceive heaven and cross the sea, sneaking into Wuchang Ghost City. But that is not enough!"
Immediately, Kui Liang Huang's body burst with Fate Divine Light. With a shake, he became much younger, looking like a man of only forty years old.
He pointed at his brow, and a starry light mark appeared.
His black robe transformed into a moon-white divine garment, giving him an immortal, ethereal aura.
At the same time, a long flute engraved with Dao patterns flew out from the space behind him and landed in his right hand.
The owner of the divine ship with the "Shi" flag was Shi Fu Jun Yu Sanjie.
After Xiao Hei sent Zhang Chuanzong to the Stone Divine Temple, he got Yu Sanjie drunk and stole this ship.
But now, Xiao Hei was tied up with divine chains, hanging half a zhang off the ground, his furry owl head drooping, looking at the ground with a look of utter despair.
"Creak!"
The door to the prison cell was pushed open.
In Xiao Hei's line of sight, a pair of straight and snow-white jade legs stepped in first, holding an emerald long spear in her hand, stopping in front of him.
With the clattering of divine chains, Xiao Hei shuddered, immediately raised his head, and stiffened his neck, saying, "What are you going to do? After using me, you want to silence me? I tell you, if you kill me, you'll be in big trouble!"
The woman standing opposite him wore a dark blue martial robe, her hair tied in a ponytail. She was heroic with a cold arrogance that said she would yield to no one, yet her eyes were clear and bright, like a young girl's, which did not match her unfathomable cultivation.
Her most distinctive feature was the four white starry light spots between her straight, willow-leaf-like eyebrows, like a floral ornament.
In a corner of the prison cell stood a burly man with a crew cut, over two meters tall, also wearing a dark blue martial uniform, with a black divine ring hanging behind him.
The crew-cut man said, "He has been cursing for three hours. He only quieted down a moment ago."
The stunning woman with the ponytail said, "You dare to deceive me?"
"Deceive? Deceive... deceive what?"
Xiao Hei felt that this woman's gaze was very frightening, and his speech became a little stuttered. He was also extremely uncomfortable inside, thinking to himself, "Everyone dares to call themselves 'Emperor.' I wonder who granted this 'Emperor' title."
"You said Zhang Ruochen was in Wuchang Ghost City, but I just investigated the news. The Zhang Ruochen in Wuchang Ghost City is actually the Void Heaven of the Destiny Temple transformed. What exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to lure us to Wuchang Ghost City to wipe us all out? There's not a single truthful word from your mouth. It seems I have no choice but to search your soul!" she said.
"This is impossible!"
Xiao Hei immediately said, "This is absolutely impossible! I personally confirmed the news of Zhang Ruochen being in Wuchang Ghost City with A Le. You were also hiding in the shadows at the time and heard it with your own ears."
"Besides, I have no friendship with Void Heaven. Why would he save me? And why would he kill you?"
"Furthermore, why would Void Heaven need to kill you? Zhang Ruochen could do it too! If I wanted to lure you to your death, I would have led you directly to Zhang Ruochen. Wouldn't that be more secure? Don't... don't... don't search my soul first! Let me ask you, does what I said make sense?"
"There's a misunderstanding! Either A Le got it wrong, or something went wrong on the Wuchang Ghost City side."
"How about you let me go first... no... I dare not call myself Emperor. You let me go first. Anyway, you have half of my divine soul. You can kill me with a single thought."
"Let me go to Wuchang Ghost City to investigate. I will definitely find out clearly. I have acquaintances there too. Do you know Mu Lingxi? Feng Tian's disciple. But when she was young, I... I gave her even more guidance. If Zhang Ruochen went to Wuchang Ghost City, he would hide it from anyone, but not from her."
The ponytailed woman holding the spear narrowed her eyelids and hesitated.
Xiao Hei secretly breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously asked, "I haven't had the chance to ask. Who exactly are you, Your Excellency? What grudge do you have with Zhang Ruochen?"
The woman ignored Xiao Hei and said, "Cang Jue, come in."
As Cang Jue, full of ghostly aura, walked into the prison cell, Xiao Hei's eyes widened. "Old Ghost Cang, you betrayed Zhang Ruochen?"
Cang Jue bowed to the stunning woman holding the emerald long spear, then smiled at Xiao Hei without saying a word.
This woman was Yuan Sheng, the clan emperor of the Primordial Path Clan, one of the twelve ancient clans of the Dark Abyss.
And the crew-cut man guarding the prison cell was Yuan Jieyi, a Great Unbound Infinite of the Primordial Path Clan.
Yuan Sheng ordered Cang Jue, "Let him down. Take him personally to Wuchang Ghost City. You must find out Zhang Ruochen's whereabouts. Also, don't let him slip away!"
The divine chains on Xiao Hei were undone. As he landed on the ground, he flexed his wrists, and his eyes sharpened.
Suddenly, he struck without warning, using the Origin Eight Techniques he had learned from Zangjin Baihu, the Taiqing Cloud-Pushing Palm.
Both hands shot out, palms like pushing clouds, light as the wind, yet with the power to move mountains and overturn seas.
"Bang!"
Yuan Sheng stood still, and a suit of burning flame armor automatically appeared on her body, neutralizing the palm force from Xiao Hei's full-powered double palms.
"Flame God Armor!"
Xiao Hei exclaimed.
"Bang!"
Xiao Hei was sent flying backward by the power erupting from the Flame God Armor, crashing heavily into the formation in the prison cell, blood flowing from his mouth and nose. But the fear of Yuan Sheng in his heart vanished completely, and he instead burst into laughter: "So you're one of us! Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had told me the reason for finding Zhang Ruochen earlier, I would have cooperated fully. There wouldn't have been so many twists and turns. And you, Old Ghost Cang, you've been on this divine ship all along, haven't you? And you only came to see me today."
When Xiao Hei saw Cang Jue, he had already roughly guessed that Yuan Sheng might be from the Dark Abyss, but he couldn't confirm whether she was friend or foe.
Knowing that he still had value, Yuan Sheng wouldn't kill him, so Xiao Hei took the risk to attack, wanting to test if she was a Primordial Being through a fight.
But upon seeing the Flame God Armor, Xiao Hei suddenly understood why Yuan Sheng had only taken half of his divine soul but had never searched it.
This woman was definitely Zhang Ruochen's lover from the Dark Abyss!
...
At this moment, at the bow of the divine ship flying the "Shi" flag, Cang Mang stood beneath the fluttering war flag, using his divine will to control an upper-level god of the Stone Clan.
It was with this Stone Clan upper-level god's divine realm world enveloping the ship, concealing the heavenly secrets, that they could move freely within the Hell Realm.
Cang Mang was Cang Jue's elder brother, also a ghost-type strange beast. Back in the Dark Abyss, he was the one who brought the Mani Pearl out from the Great Dark Mountain and gave it to Zhang Ruochen.
Suddenly, Cang Mang sensed an anomaly. His perception of the outside world had disappeared!
"Who is it?"
Cang Mang's arms became slender and long, his nails turning black. After seeing the person standing behind him, he immediately withdrew his divine power and knelt on one knee: "Greetings, Saint Musician!"
The Saint Musician wore a moon-white divine garment, with sideburns reaching his chest, starry light dots on his brow, and held a long flute, giving him an immortal, ethereal demeanor.
It was Kui Liang Huang in disguise.
The three musicians of the Great Dark Mountain—the Divine Musician, the Immortal Musician, and the Saint Musician—all possessed heaven-reaching cultivation, being the strongest below the Mountain Lord.
The Mountain Lord rarely showed himself, and all decrees were conveyed to the outside world by the three musicians.
Cang Mang claimed to be the Mountain Lord's servant, acknowledging him as his master, but like Cang Jue, he had never seen the Mountain Lord's true face.
This Saint Musician was different from the Divine Musician and the Immortal Musician.
Legend had it that he was a direct subordinate of the Mountain Lord, having returned to the Great Dark Mountain with him back then. He was not a member of the Hongmeng Clan but was granted the status of a Hongmeng Clan member, an unparalleled honor.
"Rise!" the Saint Musician said gently.
After Cang Mang stood up, he asked, "The Saint Musician has also come to the Upper Realm. This old servant will go inform the Primordial Path Clan Emperor."
"Do not disturb her!" the Saint Musician said.
Cang Mang was puzzled. "Why?"
"You need not ask about this matter. Do not tell anyone about seeing me. The Mountain Lord once had you give the Mani Pearl to Zhang Ruochen, showing that the Mountain Lord trusts you greatly. You are someone who can keep a secret."
Kui Liang Huang said this, but he knew perfectly well that the Life Ancestor's remnant soul had given the Mani Pearl to Zhang Ruochen only to cultivate a vessel for possession.
Speaking of which, it was he who had originally handed the Mani Pearl to Cang Mang, instructing him to give it to Zhang Ruochen.
The reason he chose Cang Mang was simple: time was of the essence. He neither wanted to alert the Divine Musician and Immortal Musician of the Great Dark Mountain, nor did he want to delay returning to the Upper Realm to protect Zhang Ruochen during his tribulation.
As for Qing Tian and the Dark Temple Hall Master later intervening to prevent Zhang Ruochen from becoming a god, that was precisely what Kui Liang Huang had hoped to see.
He did not want the Life Ancestor's remnant soul to truly cultivate a vessel for possession, because the one who coveted the Life Ancestor's remnant soul the most was him.
The Saint Musician took out the Soul Devourer Lamp and handed it to Cang Mang. "Your journey is extremely dangerous. Take this lamp with you. It may save your life at a critical moment. Hide it well. Do not let anyone discover it."
Cang Mang took the Soul Devourer Lamp, which had shrunk to the size of a walnut, with both hands, and said excitedly, "Thank you for your kindness, Saint Musician." The Saint Musician waved his hand mysteriously and lightly. "I know the purpose of your trip. In any case, you must remember that Zhang Ruochen has the bloodline of the Hongmeng Clan flowing within him. He is the hope of us Primordial Beings. You must respect him and not offend him. He will be the future master of the Great Dark Mountain!"