Chapter 3908: Half-Ancestor Summons
"Zhang Ruochen, I no longer pose any threat to you. Spare my life, and I, this old man, will gift you all the resources and wealth I have accumulated over these years."
Kui Liang Huang's entire body radiated a cold blue light, like a meteor, streaking across the starry sky at extreme speed, constantly shuttling through space.
This was a body formed from two rivers of spiritual power thoughts, with strength not weak, capable of battling the Heavens.
"No need! Haven't your other spiritual power thoughts already said these same words to Feng Tian and the Black and White Daoist?"
Behind him, Zhang Ruochen stepped on the void, covering one star domain with each step.
He reached out his hand, his fingers lightly pointing toward the sky.
"Whoosh!"
In that stretch of starry sky, dozens of stars, separated by no less than a hundred billion li, were simultaneously pulled by dozens of invisible spatial forces, all crashing head-on toward Kui Liang Huang.
Amid the rumbling sounds, Kui Liang Huang's forward momentum was blocked, and Zhang Ruochen caught up to him.
Zhang Ruochen locked the void with his will, threw out the Emperor Talisman to suppress him, then walked up to him and said calmly, "God Venerable cultivates the Path of Fate and has supreme spiritual power, yet in the face of life and death, you still reveal the weakness within. I have looked into your life. When you were young, you were nothing like this. You once stood tall and unyielding, indomitable. What a pity. What a tragedy."
Kui Liang Huang was suppressed by the sky full of talisman patterns and couldn't break free. He sneered, "It's not that the longer one cultivates, the more fearless one becomes. Who wasn't full of hot blood in their youth, unafraid of life and death, daring to fight heaven and earth? Zhang Ruochen, you laugh at me as pitiable today, but how do you know that others won't laugh at you in the future? What use is a moment of pride and courage? It's hard to go through life without bowing to others or bending one's proud spine. Ask the world, who can keep their original heart unchanged?"
"I have been taught."
Zhang Ruochen extended two fingers and struck Kui Liang Huang's brow, using his ninety-step spiritual power to perform a soul search.
After the soul search, Zhang Ruochen suppressed these spiritual power thoughts of Kui Liang Huang into the Jade Emperor Cauldron and then fell into contemplation.
"He is the Saint Musician, one of the three great musicians of Great Dark Mountain. So this is what the 'Fate Ancestor's Envoy' means."
Zhang Ruochen tried to find information about the "Fate Ancestor Divine Source," "Nether Ancestor," "Immortal," and so on from Kui Liang Huang's memories. But these were only a part of his spiritual power thoughts, carrying only a small amount of classified memories.
Moreover, many memories had been severed by Kui Liang Huang himself.
Zhang Ruochen tried to restore his memories but failed.
For a ninety-second-step spiritual power powerhouse who also delved deeply into the Path of Fate, using the Path of Fate to restore his self-severed memories was something even a Half-Ancestor might not be able to do.
The No-Self Lamp had suppressed one of the rivers of spiritual power thoughts and flew over from the starry sky.
"I have performed a soul search but found no Fate Ancestor Divine Source. I only found this!"
From the No-Self Lamp flew a long flute engraved with dao patterns.
Zhang Ruochen caught the flute. It was cool to the touch, carved from a bamboo branch, containing primordial qi within, and was no ordinary item.
From Kui Liang Huang's memories, Zhang Ruochen had seen it. It was a token between the Saint Musician and the cultivators of Great Dark Mountain, refined from a branch of the Primordial Radiant Divine Bamboo.
Don't underestimate the No-Self Lamp's artifact spirit, which was still young. But its power was extraordinary. It could suppress Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power thought body plus the Emperor Talisman, so naturally, it could easily suppress one of Kui Liang Huang's rivers of spiritual power thoughts.
"Let's go. Continue the interception. We must retrieve the Fate Ancestor Divine Source," the No-Self Lamp said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "No need. In the Hell Realm, how could these spiritual power thoughts of his escape? Someone has already made a move. From today onward, there will no longer be a so-called Quantity Organization in the world."
The No-Self Lamp said, "What about the Fate Ancestor Divine Source?"
Zhang Ruochen gazed toward the direction of the Nether Purgatory. His eyes crossed space and saw Feng Tian, who had transformed into her phoenix true form. Her body radiated a myriad of colors. Her magnificent wings were spread, collecting the Fate Esoterica and Fate Rule Divine Patterns left behind by the Fate Ancestor and Kui Liang Huang in that region of heaven and earth.
In the current world, no one was more enthusiastic about and obsessed with cultivating the Path of Fate than her. Even Void Heaven, Nutian Shenzun, and Ba Er, who also came from the Destiny Temple, were not her match.
If Kui Liang Huang's spiritual power thoughts had indeed carried the Fate Ancestor Divine Source and fled, Feng Tian would surely have sensed it subtly and seized it before anyone else.
With the Fate Ancestor's fall, the fate phenomena and auspicious clouds across the Hell Realm disappeared one after another. Those believers of fate could all feel the power of fate receding.
When news of the Fate Ancestor's death spread, many believers couldn't accept it. Some went mad, some wailed loudly, and some knocked their heads on the ground.
This was a heavy blow to the faith in fate!
It was also another impact on the transcendent status of the Destiny Temple.
From then on, the Hell Realm had no more transcendence. Fengdu Ghost City, Yama Heaven Beyond Heaven, and the Destiny Temple all fell from their pedestals. Meanwhile, new pedestals—"Lady Shiji" and "Heavenly Mother"—rose under the promotion of the Stone Clan and Rakshasa Clan cultivators.
An era had passed!
No force could remain glorious forever. Faith was constantly being reshaped. The only constant was people's fanatical pursuit of the strong and their desire for profit.
In the dark cosmic void, a green light lit up, and two figures—a man and a woman—walked over.
The No-Self Lamp exclaimed, "Enemy attack! It's the Life-Death Lamp."
The No-Self Lamp released a strange fate power. Its light was dim and directly attacked the divine souls of cultivators.
Zhang Ruochen was closest to it and was the first to be affected. His vision went black, and his mind spun. He quickly stopped it, saying, "It's one of us... Retract the light..."
Zhang Ruochen possessed the Mani Pearl, so he was not at all afraid of the No-Self Lamp's attack. The reason he was hit was partly because he was indeed unprepared and partly because he wanted to test it.
After all, he knew too little about the No-Self Lamp. Just because its artifact spirit was like a child didn't mean he could treat it as one.
The bloody lesson of the Soul-Devouring Lamp had only just passed.
If the No-Self Lamp had ulterior motives and attacked while Zhang Ruochen was affected, it would not have succeeded. After all, Lady Shiji was still in this star domain and could descend at any time.
Only if the No-Self Lamp passed this test could Zhang Ruochen initially accept it.
The No-Self Lamp's light quickly contracted and dimmed. "They also suppressed one of Kui Liang Huang's rivers of spiritual power thoughts."
Desolate Heaven carried the Life-Death Lamp and came before Zhang Ruochen.
Beside him stood a young woman. Her black robe and snow-white jade-like skin formed a stark contrast. She had no extra accessories. Her black hair was lightly tied with a blue hairband and hung down her back.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the woman's face, a hint of joy in his eyes, but also some confusion. "Lian Xi?"
The black-robed woman looked very much like Lian Xi, but her temperament was somewhat different.
She did not have Lian Xi's outward weakness and inner strength, nor did she show any infatuation with Zhang Ruochen. From the inside out, she exuded mystery and aloofness. Her eyes were deep and unfathomable, and her cultivation was exceptionally formidable.
This feeling was very much like when he first met her.
At that time, she was still the Lian Xi King.
Although Zhang Ruochen did not use his spiritual power to probe, he could feel the terrifying energy surging within Lian Xi's body. Once released, it could destroy the entire starry sky.
Lian Xi nodded lightly, her red lips slightly parting to reveal white teeth. "Yes. In the Soul Realm battle, my divine soul shattered into pieces, but they were all collected into the Profound Cauldron. Lady Shiji used her great divine power to reshape my divine soul. Over the past ten thousand years, she also helped me devour the Soul Mother's soul and seize her Half-Ancestor body. Only then did I become the Lian Xi of today. Emperor Dust may also call me Xi Empress. This is the title bestowed by the Empress."
Zhang Ruochen nodded lightly, genuinely happy for her, but he could also feel the sense of distance in her words.
Zhang Ruochen never underestimated any woman. If he thought that just because he had a relationship with her, she would be forever devoted to him, that would be far too arrogant.
The Lian Xi of the past might have had twisted feelings for him, but the one who had merged with the Soul Mother's soul was clearly different from before!
The Soul Mother's spiritual consciousness must have been obliterated by Lady Shiji, but it was still the divine soul of a Half-Ancestor.
Lian Xi bowed to Zhang Ruochen and said, "Emperor Dust knew back then that the Soul Realm was a trap, yet he still risked danger to save Lian Xi. Lian Xi has always remembered this. Lian Xi also saw the stone tablet you erected for me on the high mountain, and I am still moved by it."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Let's not mention past matters. Congratulations to Xi Empress for returning. With the Empress guiding you, I believe Xi Empress will go further and higher in the future."
Lian Xi had drawn a line between their relationship, essentially telling Zhang Ruochen that she still had him in her heart, but she was definitely not his, the Emperor Dust's, appendage. The two were one Emperor and one Empress, in an equal relationship.
In this way, she held the initiative to advance or retreat.
Zhang Ruochen was very calm and did not dwell on it. He simply went along with her wishes.
This, however, made Lian Xi feel a faint trace of disappointment in her heart.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze had already met Desolate Heaven's. He could feel that Desolate Heaven's cultivation had advanced rapidly, making him one of the few strong figures in the Hell Realm today.
Without formidable strength, he could not have suppressed the Life-Death Lamp.
The Life-Death Lamp's artifact spirit was far inferior to the Soul-Devouring Lamp and the No-Self Lamp, but it was still not something an ordinary God Venerable could handle.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Has Senior Desolate Heaven joined Lady Shiji's sect?"
Desolate Heaven did not avoid the question at all. "To be precise, it's the entire Stone Clan."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "I see. A Half-Ancestor's will, even Stone Heaven can only yield."
Desolate Heaven said, "Stone Heaven wasn't that aggrieved. On the contrary, he welcomed the Half-Ancestor's return with joy."
"That doesn't sound like his personality," Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven said, "It's actually very easy to change a person's personality, as long as the benefits are great enough. Lady Shiji is a Half-Ancestor, and a second-life Half-Ancestor at that. The methods she commands are more numerous and more profound than those of the current Half-Ancestors. Most importantly, she is a Half-Ancestor of the Stone Clan. She can guide any Stone Clan cultivator on the great path, including Stone Heaven, of course."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So Senior Desolate Heaven's current cultivation is also thanks to Lady Shiji's guidance?"
"It's not just guidance."
Desolate Heaven was not a talkative person. He stopped there and said, "The Half-Ancestor wants to see you. Come with us. You'll understand when you see her."
Zhang Ruochen had long wanted to meet Lady Shiji. He had seen her in the Soul Realm, but it was only a fleeting glance, not a formal conversation.
Desolate Heaven rarely spoke so highly of anyone. He seemed to believe that Lady Shiji was even above the current Half-Ancestors Hao Tian and Heavenly Mother.
She had made Stone Heaven submit, caused Desolate Heaven's cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds to an exaggerated height, and cultivated Lian Xi, who possessed a Half-Ancestor's divine soul and Half-Ancestor body.
All these methods of Lady Shiji shattered Zhang Ruochen's previous understanding and gave him a new understanding of a Half-Ancestor's abilities. Naturally, he was full of curiosity and anticipation.
On the way, the Black and White Daoist caught up with Zhang Ruochen and his group.
Throughout this battle, the Black and White Daoist had been watching from the shadows, not daring to show himself. It was only when Kui Liang Huang transformed into twelve rivers of spiritual power thoughts that he made his move.
These were the thoughts of a ninety-second-step spiritual power powerhouse, which were of infinite benefit to ghost cultivators. They might even be the key to his future breakthrough to the middle stage of Indestructible Infinite.
"Emperor Dust, can we talk alone?"
The Black and White Daoist was very anxious. The curse on his body had begun to take effect, and his soul power was constantly draining. But with Desolate Heaven and Lian Xi present, as a clan leader, he naturally couldn't speak openly about such a secret that would damage his dignity.
Zhang Ruochen saw through the situation in his body but pretended not to understand. He frowned and said, "Shouldn't the clan leader be at the Bone God Temple? Didn't you promise me? Didn't we already settle things back at the Hidden Bone Sea?"
The Black and White Daoist cursed Zhang Ruochen for playing dumb and patiently explained, "Lady Shiji has already repelled Bone Yanluo. The crisis on the Bone Clan's side has been resolved."
"I see."
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood. "The curse in the clan leader's body..."
Seeing Desolate Heaven and Lian Xi's gazes fall on him, the Black and White Daoist's old face burned. It was like having a hidden illness exposed in public.
For someone as proud as him, he almost wanted to self-destruct his divine source and take everyone with him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "We're all on the same side. There's nothing that can't be said. If the curse on the clan leader hasn't fully manifested yet, why not come with us to pay respects to Lady Shiji?"
Then, Zhang Ruochen secretly transmitted a message: "My relationship with Lady Shiji is decent. I can recommend you to her. A Half-Ancestor's methods are beyond our imagination. Perhaps the Empress has a better and faster way to resolve the curse in your body."
The Black and White Daoist, who had been grinding his teeth in anger just moments ago, now felt a bit ashamed upon hearing this: "This Zhang Ruochen kid is quite sincere. He actually took the initiative to invite me to pay respects to the Half-Ancestor together. Such an opportunity is too rare! Doesn't this mean I owe him another favor?"
The Black and White Daoist, who had lived for millions of years, was well-versed in the great trends of the world. He knew that the Hell Realm had changed. From now on, even if a new Heavenly Venerable was elected or Fengdu Dadi returned, the real power would definitely be in the hands of the two Half-Ancestors.
If he could be the first clan leader to pay respects to the Half-Ancestor, it would benefit both him and the Ghost Clan.
At the same time, the Black and White Daoist felt jealous of Zhang Ruochen. "This kid has already won the favor of Heavenly Mother, which is the envy of all. And now he has dealings with Lady Shiji? How outrageous."
Zhang Ruochen, of course, did not know the Black and White Daoist's complicated and contradictory feelings. The reason he called him along was entirely because he knew that since Lady Shiji had released her Half-Ancestor aura earlier and made a domineering declaration in the starry sea, it was undoubtedly a formal return.
Desolate Heaven's earlier words indicated that Lady Shiji had already taken control of the Stone Clan, further confirming Zhang Ruochen's guess.
So, even if Zhang Ruochen didn't call the Black and White Daoist, Lady Shiji would definitely summon him anyway.
Why not do him a favor?
After all, Lady Shiji was considered one of the ancient powerhouses. If she didn't want to be rejected by the current gods and even fully integrate into this era and be accepted by the Hell Realm, controlling only the Stone Clan was not enough.
She needed to extend her influence to the other clans.