Chapter 3890: The Great Venerable's Promise from Back Then
Guarding Wuchang Ghost City was primarily the responsibility of cultivators from the Middle Three Clans. The other clans of the Hell Realm mainly sent formation masters to provide assistance.
On this vast black soil wilderness, a bustling trading market had naturally formed, with all kinds of cultivation resources on display, a mix of the good and the bad, injecting vitality and energy into this tense and dangerous land.
Although the strange blood spring overflowing from Wuchang Ghost City was full of danger, it was, after all, the blood of a legendary Immortal. Many deities were willing to pay high prices to purchase it.
It could be stored using special vessels, without fear of the strange power leaking out.
Moreover, after the strange blood spring flowed out of Wuchang Ghost City and entered the Santu River, it had been diluted by the large amount of corpse water in the river, greatly reducing its danger.
Where there were generous rewards, there were brave men.
On this trading market, Zhang Ruochen saw many stalls selling strange blood spring sealed in special clay pots. Quite a few cultivators from all over the universe were inquiring about the price.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen noticed two young Death Clan deities who were buying up large quantities of the strange blood spring.
These two were only Middle Position Gods, having cultivated for less than one eon. They looked like a pair of twins, their appearances almost identical, resembling human youths in their twenties.
Xiao Hei looked over and said, "What's wrong? Is there something off about them? This Emperor knows these two. They are the Guan brothers of the Death Clan. Their cultivation is mediocre."
Zhang Ruochen sensed a faint aura belonging to the White-Haired Skeleton on these two Death Clan deities.
The Guan brothers noticed Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei's gaze. They didn't show any excessive reaction but immediately headed toward the market exit, preparing to leave.
Zhang Ruochen was about to follow them when he spotted another familiar figure and said, "Isn't that Shi Gansha, the one you mentioned?"
Shi Gansha was an Upper Position God of the Stone Clan. It was precisely by controlling him and using Shi Gansha's Divine Realm World to cover the "Stone" character flag divine ship, concealing the heavenly secrets, that Yuansheng had been able to cross half the Hell Realm and reach the Santu River basin.
"That's him! Great, since he's shown up, that Primordial Being clan emperor must be nearby. Let's catch him immediately!" Xiao Hei said excitedly.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the Guan brothers, who were about to leave the market, and drew a talisman on Xiao Hei's forehead. "Follow them and see where they go. Remember, do not use spiritual power or divine thought to investigate. Do not act rashly. Try to disguise yourself as much as possible and don't reveal any flaws."
Xiao Hei asked, "Understood. Releasing spiritual power and divine thought would expose our aura and identity, and would be sensed by those Great Unbound Infinite Ghost Clan experts. But what's the problem with these Guan brothers?"
"Don't ask. Just find out where they're hiding. I'll use my perception to find you."
After parting ways with Xiao Hei, Zhang Ruochen went directly to Shi Gansha and said, "Take me to Yuansheng."
Shi Gansha put on a puzzled expression and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Zhang Ruochen placed his hand on Shi Gansha's shoulder, and his spiritual power entered the latter's Divine Realm World.
Yuansheng was not hiding in the Divine Realm World.
Intimidated by the other's powerful spiritual power, Shi Gansha found it difficult to move. "Who exactly are you?"
"You don't need to know who I am. Just take me to see that Primordial Being clan leader."
Zhang Ruochen took a step forward, vanishing directly from the market and hiding inside Shi Gansha's Divine Realm World.
A stiff, bitter smile appeared on Shi Gansha's semi-petrified face. After leaving the market, he headed straight for the Black Impermanence Divine Temple at the top of Yin Mountain.
Yuansheng's boldness exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
After capturing Mingye Divine Venerable and quietly returning, she still dared to hide in the Black Impermanence Divine Temple. Did she think the most dangerous place was the safest?
Yuansheng wore a dark blue martial robe, her hair tied in a ponytail, with a purple jade light belt outlining a charming curve at her slender waist. She exuded heroic pride while also radiating a youthful, wild aura.
Inside the small world of the divine temple.
She stood on a plain covered in silver-white exotic flowers and herbs. This had once been the site of the Ten Thousand Buddha Formation, and the Buddhist Qi from the Xutuohuan White Silver Tree had transformed the soil, making the area full of vitality.
This convinced Yuansheng that Zhang Ruochen had indeed been in Wuchang Ghost City.
The jade-like Bihai Hunyuan Spear was inserted not far away, constantly emitting a green light that altered the rules of heaven and earth.
After Shi Gansha returned, Yuansheng didn't turn around. She only asked, "Did you buy the blood of the Immortal?"
Sensing something was wrong, Yuansheng's figure transformed into a streak of blue light, appearing before the Bihai Hunyuan Spear. She grabbed the shaft and thrust the spear at the black-robed cultivator standing beside Shi Gansha.
The divine power erupting from the spear turned into surging energy, blowing back the hood on Zhang Ruochen's head, revealing his young, handsome face.
Zhang Ruochen blocked the spear tip with his palm, formation patterns appearing on his palm.
"So you've indeed broken through to Indestructible Infinite. Is breaking through realms this easy for you Primordial Beings?" Zhang Ruochen said.
For the royal clan of Primordial Beings, reaching adulthood smoothly meant they would have Infinite Realm cultivation.
No race in the Heavenly Court or Hell Realm could compare.
This was also their capital for looking down on post-natal beings.
Yuansheng's eyes naturally held a look of surprise. The divine power on the Bihai Hunyuan Spear quickly dissipated as she withdrew the spear. "Can you cultivate any faster? You, Imperial Dust, have even cultivated your spiritual power to the ninetieth rank!"
Shi Gansha never expected the black-robed cultivator to be the renowned Imperial Dust.
He immediately knelt on one knee and saluted, "Imperial Dust, this minor deity serves under Desolate Heaven Hall Master. I was forced to obey this humanoid strange beast. Imperial Dust, save me!"
Hearing the words "strange beast," a killing intent flashed in Yuansheng's eyes.
Two beams of dark divine light flew from her pupils, intending to directly obliterate Shi Gansha.
Zhang Ruochen used his spiritual power to neutralize the dark divine light.
Yuansheng said coldly, "Zhang Ruochen, he already knows about our meeting. If this leaks out, you'll have no place in the upper realm."
Shi Gansha immediately said, "Even if you lent me ten thousand guts, I wouldn't dare betray Imperial Dust. If Imperial Dust is uneasy, you can directly erase this minor deity's memory."
"Get up. Don't disgrace your Desolate Heaven Hall Master. You call yourself Shi Gansha? Might as well be called Shi Xiaodan (Little Guts Shi)," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Thank you, Imperial Dust, for the name."
Shi Gansha knew his life was temporarily saved. He immediately stood up, retreated to a distance, sealed his consciousness, and dared not listen to the conversation between Zhang Ruochen and Yuansheng.
The less he knew, the more likely he was to survive.
"Keeping him might still be useful," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yuansheng calmed her emotions, turning her sharply defined profile to Zhang Ruochen. "A shocking divine battle erupted near the 'Stone' character flag divine ship. It must have been an Indestructible Infinite-level clash, right? Who was it?"
"Qishier Pin Lian," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yuansheng had clearly heard of Qishier Pin Lian's name. A look of surprise appeared on her stunningly beautiful face. "How could it be her? Had she already been watching me?"
"Her target was me."
Zhang Ruochen continued, "But it's also normal for her to have her eyes on you. You Primordial Beings are very valuable for research. Your Yuandao Clan can directly decompose flesh and blood into the rules of heaven and earth, completely merging with the world. Who wouldn't want to study your bodies and gain your abilities?"
"How dare you!"
Yuansheng stared coldly at Zhang Ruochen, but thinking that the other party was now a powerhouse at her own level, and that she was in the upper realm at a disadvantage, she held back and said, "I have something important to discuss with you."
"I also have something important to ask you. You captured those Ghost Clan deities, didn't you? What exactly are you trying to do?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Yuansheng met Zhang Ruochen's strong gaze without flinching. "That Ghost Clan clan leader, Black and White Daoist, ambushed the Grand Elder and stole the Yinhuai Divine Tree."
Zhang Ruochen said, "How is the Grand Elder's injury?"
"No serious issue," Yuansheng said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So what do you want to do? Kill Black and White Daoist to avenge the Grand Elder? Let me tell you, you're in the upper realm now. The rules of heaven and earth are different from the lower realm, and your strength will be greatly diminished. Moreover, Black and White Daoist controls quite a bit of esoterica. In a one-on-one fight, you would definitely lose."
"That's not necessarily true. The strongest aspect of the Primordial Royal Clan is the physical body."
Yuansheng was full of pride, clearly looking down on post-natal races as a pre-natal species.
She added, "Don't forget, our ancestors were the true masters of this universe! Once we come to the upper realm, we can quickly adapt to the rules of heaven and earth. More importantly, the Calamity of Quantities is approaching, and the rules of heaven and earth are already weakening!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you're this arrogant, you'll definitely suffer a big loss. You must know that once you show yourself, you'll be surrounded and killed by cultivators from the entire Hell Realm!"
"So, you have to help me," Yuansheng said.
Zhang Ruochen was stunned. "On what basis?"
Yuansheng's brows furrowed tightly. "Have you forgotten what you said?"
"...What did I say?"
Zhang Ruochen was at a loss.
Yuansheng bit her lip, her eyes extremely resentful, as if looking at a faithless person.
Zhang Ruochen tried hard to recall. Although Jie Tian had been urging him to pursue Yuansheng as a way to escape the Chaos Divine Prison, he didn't think he had said anything excessive.
Zhang Ruochen was ultimately someone who yielded to softness rather than hardness, especially when the other party was a very strong-willed clan emperor. So he said, "How about giving me a hint."
Yuansheng said, "Never mind! The affairs of the Yuandao Clan should naturally be handled by this Emperor myself. I shouldn't seek help from outsiders. How ridiculous that Jie Lao said that once I came to the upper realm, I could ask for your help with anything. Relatively speaking, Jie Lao is the true great hero, the true great man, and the eternal friend of the Yuandao Clan."
Seeing that Yuansheng didn't seem to be using provocation, Zhang Ruochen said, "Did the old man say something to you?"
Yuansheng clearly didn't want to mention it. "Let's discuss business first. This Emperor ventured deep into the Yellow Spring Star River to find you this time on the orders of the Great Ming Mountain Immortal Music Master, to ask the descendant of the Great Venerable to fulfill the promise made back then. Jie Lao said to come to you, as you are now the master of the Kunlun Realm Zhang Clan."
Seeing Yuansheng's expression, Zhang Ruochen knew that Jie Laotou must have said some inappropriate things to her, and he immediately got a headache.
Jie Laotou was desperately trying to set him up with Yuansheng, hoping that the Zhang Clan would once again have relatively pure-blooded Primordial Being royal clan descendants.
But the cultivators of the upper realm and the Primordial Beings had irreconcilable contradictions. Truly provoking Yuansheng would be a more troublesome matter than provoking Feng Tian.
This matter couldn't follow Jie Laotou's rhythm.