Chapter 3917: Nine Hundred Years Later
Zhang Ruochen stood atop the towering and majestic city wall of Wuchang Ghost City, where the north wind howled with a trace of chill.
The winding and vast Santu River cut through the boundless, desolate wilderness, drawing near from afar. On the river's surface, ghost fires continuously flew out, and rotting corpses and white bones emerged. It was evident that although the universe had been peaceful for nearly a thousand years, slaughter had never ceased—death was the sole destination for all myriad races.
He gazed into the distant eastern starry sky, as if he could pierce through space itself.
Bore, surrounded by the divine light of fate, stood beside him, also looking toward the eastern starry sky.
She knew what Zhang Ruochen was watching.
The Nether Prison had been relocated by Yunshen Daozhu to the starry sky where the former Soul Realm once stood. That place lay at the convergence of the Western Universe, Southern Universe, and Hell Realm Universe—a region of sparse great worlds and planets, far from bustling centers, yet not as remote as the North Marsh Great Wall or the Phantom Extinction Star Sea.
Should a divine war erupt, it would neither harm the innocent nor make it difficult to swiftly organize reinforcements.
The only drawback was that defense would become arduous, making it easy for hidden powerhouses to break in, or even directly breach the defenses.
A hundred years ago, the Soul Realm Star Domain had already been shrouded by spreading demonic qi, pulling at the nerves of all top-tier deities across heaven and earth. Any minor disturbance would stir up a massive uproar.
Bore said, "It has been a hundred years. Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian and Tai Shang are likely using this to lure Ba Er, Jiusi Yitianhuang, and Gu Yanluo to the Soul Realm Star Domain, thereby easing the pressure on the gods of the Heavenly Court's four directions. If the Great Demon God is truly not dead, these three will certainly be the most aggressive."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "These three will definitely go, even knowing it's a trap. But not to rescue the Great Demon God—rather, to dismember him and achieve their own Half-Ancestor path, or even Ancestor path."
Jiusi Yitianhuang and Gu Yanluo both originated from the Great Demon God, but their consciousnesses were independent and their ambitions vast.
If the Great Demon God emerged, it would bring them no benefit. Instead, he might erase their consciousnesses, reclaim them into his main body, and restore his strength.
As for Ba Er and Gai Mie, these chaotic ancient demon gods merely submitted to the Great Demon God's Ancestor-level cultivation. Given the chance, how could they not wish to replace him?
Undoubtedly, the Soul Realm Star Domain was the true center of the current cosmic storm. Success or failure there would determine the future structure of heaven and earth.
That was a matter for the three Half-Ancestors to consider. Zhang Ruochen's worries lay elsewhere.
Looking down, he saw the Black and White Daoist appear below the city wall.
The Black and White Daoist took a step forward and was instantly beside Zhang Ruochen.
"Nine hundred years have passed. Thank you, Imperial Dust, for helping the Ghost Clan resolve the hidden danger of Wuchang Ghost City. In the future, the Middle Three Clans will surely repay this debt. May I ask what Imperial Dust plans to do next?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Is the Clan Leader trying to drive me away?"
The Black and White Daoist's expression stiffened, then he sighed. "Imperial Dust, how can you still hold a grudge from back then? After Void Heaven and Feng Tian left, I still need to rely on you to help this old man guard the World Tree. You absolutely cannot shirk this duty."
Void Heaven had long since cultivated Sword Twenty-Four, breaking through the barrier of the Heavenly Venerable rank. He then returned to the Destiny Temple in a grand manner, no longer fearing Ba Er and the others, exuding the aura of a king's return.
Feng Tian had obtained the Joy Gate left by the Fate Ancestor, consumed divine pills refined from Mo Li Corpse Ancestor, and refined a large amount of Immortal blood. A hundred years ago, she stepped into the peak of Indestructible Infinite. Subsequently, she went to the Hell Realm's camp in the Abyss of Darkness.
Everyone knew that the threat of Primordial Beings to the Hell Realm was now far greater than that to the Heavenly Court. War was imminent.
Where there was war, there was naturally Feng Caiyi.
After a long pause, Zhang Ruochen said, "I am leaving today."
Bore slightly turned her head, clearly surprised.
The Black and White Daoist was shocked and quickly said, "How can this be? If you leave, this old man will be a lone pillar unable to hold up the sky. With such a vast enterprise as the World Tree, if anything goes wrong, the consequences would be unthinkable."
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the Yanluo Ghost City at the top of the World Tree. "The celestial mechanism has already been revealed in advance. Today is the day Fengdu Dadi returns."
The Black and White Daoist immediately performed a calculation but found no such celestial sign. "Don't joke around. The Space-Time Altar hasn't been fully repaired yet!"
"I'm not joking. The Great Emperor will return today. I have a matter to ask of you, Clan Leader."
Zhang Ruochen spread open his right palm. Within his palm, a vast world formed on its own, with space energy actively surging.
The Shura Battle Soul Sea floated above his palm, releasing fierce Shura battle qi. Inside, forty-five clusters of Dao light radiated brilliant splendor, causing waves to surge endlessly on the sea's surface and space to tremble incessantly.
Zhang Ruochen had obtained a large amount of Ancestor Divine Qi and Ancestor Rules from Jie Tian to protect his Xuan Tai, so he no longer needed the Shura Battle Soul Sea.
He had released his "father-in-law" and given him such great face—how could he not pay some price?
The Black and White Daoist felt a mix of joy and worry, his emotions complex.
Once Fengdu Dadi returned, the World Tree would naturally become as solid as gold, but this Clan Leader's authority would inevitably plummet.
A thousand years of glory, lost in an instant.
Luo Tong Luo's voice rang out from within the Shura Battle Soul Sea: "Zhang Ruochen, you coward! If you have the guts, refine my divine soul!"
The Black and White Daoist looked at the Shura Battle Soul Sea, curious. "Imperial Dust hasn't refined and killed her yet?"
"I've always cherished the fairer sex—how could I bear to?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Black and White Daoist understood and smiled. "But she is an Ancestor-level divine soul, her temperament too fierce. I doubt she would submit to anyone. Moreover, she doesn't even have a physical body."
"Who says otherwise? I plan to return the Shura Battle Soul Sea to the Shura Clan. Could the Clan Leader handle this trip for me?" Zhang Ruochen immediately added, "I promised Lady Shiji I would rush to the Abyss of Darkness immediately."
The Black and White Daoist's heart stirred greatly.
This was the Shura Battle Soul Sea! Zhang Ruochen was indeed famous as a "wealth scatterer"—even this could be returned.
If he had obtained the Shura Battle Soul Sea, he would never return it unless the Shura Clan offered a mountain of cultivation resources and star territory.
What delighted the Black and White Daoist even more was that Zhang Ruochen was sharing such a clan-specific favor with him.
He could imagine that carrying the Shura Battle Soul Sea to the Shura Clan would draw worldwide attention. Even if the Great Emperor returned, he would steal some of the spotlight.
Suppressing his excitement, the Black and White Daoist took the Shura Battle Soul Sea and sealed it into his Divine Realm World. "Imperial Dust's righteousness is lofty. No wonder cultivators across the world respect and admire you. Without exaggeration, if Imperial Dust raised his arm and called out, at least half the cultivators in the Hell Realm would be willing to follow."
"Follow me for what? What they want to follow is a strong one, a Half-Ancestor, Heavenly Mother, and Lady Shiji." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Black and White Daoist said, "The Abyss of Darkness is already shrouded in the clouds of war. Every clan in the Hell Realm should contribute. Imperial Dust, if you go, take my two disciples with you. Let them represent the Ghost Clan in battle. If anything needs to be done, just command them—they should be able to help somewhat."
"Absolutely not. If they want to go, let them go on their own."
Zhang Ruochen, accompanied by Bore, immediately left Wuchang Ghost City and set foot on the Ancient God Path leading to the Abyss of Darkness.
The Black and White Daoist looked puzzled. His two disciples were Divine Venerables, and he had lowered his posture so much—why did Zhang Ruochen refuse? Was there some hidden reason?
Entering the Ancient God Path, Bore couldn't help but ask, "What if something goes wrong handing Luo Tong Luo over to him?"
She knew that even Zhang Ruochen dared not refine and kill Luo Tong Luo.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Rest assured! The Black and White Daoist is no ordinary figure. Those who can go to the Abyss of Darkness to seek opportunities, break through realms, and then walk out alive are rare throughout history. This old fellow is shrewd—few can match his skills in hiding and survival."
Zhang Ruochen had tried many times to refine Luo Tong Luo's divine soul in the Shura Battle Soul Sea. But every time he began, the black hand would erupt with intense fluctuations, trying to break the spiritual consciousness seal.
At the same time, a dangerously extreme aura would emerge from the depths of the universe, locking onto Zhang Ruochen and forcing him to stop.
Luo Tong Luo and the Dark Weirdness undoubtedly had an extraordinary relationship. Otherwise, Qishier Pin Lian would not have risked so much to rescue her from Shura Star Pillar Realm back then.
Gu Yanluo had also warned, "Capturing Luo Tong Luo will be the worst decision you ever make."
The Dark Weirdness had only been repelled by the three Half-Ancestors and could emerge at any time. Zhang Ruochen did not want to actively provoke it.
Zhang Ruochen had analyzed the reasons why the Dark Weirdness remained hidden. First, it was certainly to recuperate and restore strength, unwilling to challenge the entire universe alone at this time.
The greater reason was likely that there existed unknown forces in the universe even more terrifying than the Dark Weirdness, causing it to be wary.
For instance, the Nether Ancestor, whose name was always heard but whose person was never seen.
Or the Time-Space Human Ancestor mentioned by the Second Confucian Ancestor.
And the target of the Twenty-Four Heavens' campaign three hundred thousand years ago.
Plus the Great Demon God, who might not be completely dead in the Nether Prison, and Ling Yanzi, who had been missing for many years.
...
The higher one's cultivation realm, the more secrets one encountered, and the more one felt the terror of the vast universe, hiding too many unknowns.
Ordinary gods could only see the tip of the iceberg above the water.
Even those who had reached the Half-Ancestor realm, like Hao Tian, Lady Shiji, and Heavenly Mother, still walked on thin ice, needing to carefully navigate the current situation.
The Ancient God Path was established using tributaries of the Santu River and spatial networks, connecting the universe and saving time crossing star domains.
In recent years, due to the Hell Realm's strategic contraction, shifting focus to the Starry Sky Battlefield, the Santu River Basin, and the Abyss of Darkness, the Ancient God Path was once again utilized, with many places showing signs of repair.
Not long after traveling, a black waystation the size of a small city appeared ahead. A large group of Undying Blood Clan gods gathered outside.
Xue Jue War God walked out of the waystation holding a steaming, rough clay bowl. Looking at Zhang Ruochen and Bore approaching along the Santu River, he said, "Seeing the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, a billion miles in diameter, dissipate above Wuchang Ghost City, I guessed you would pass by here today. The tea is already brewed. Go get yourself a bowl."
"Since when did the Undying Blood Clan start drinking tea?"
Zhang Ruochen walked over with a smile.
"Greetings, Imperial Dust!"
"We pay respects to Imperial Dust and Bore Divine Venerable."
...
The Undying Blood Clan cultivators outside the waystation bowed repeatedly, making way.
Xue Jue War God leaned against an ancient black yin willow tree by the river, drinking tea. "This is no ordinary tea. It's Worry-Free Tea planted by Meng Naihe. Drinking it can relieve your worries. Do you know who Meng Naihe is?"
"Imperial Dust!"
Ying Huo walked out from the crowd and handed a bowl of dark red hot tea to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen took it, tasted it, and said, "In the past five hundred years, aside from the Great Demon God in the Nether Prison, the most famous person is this Meng Naihe. How could I not know? The universe is vast, with countless worlds and planets. Who knows how many reclusive ancient clans like the Meng family remain hidden?"
Five hundred years ago, Gu Yanluo and Ba Er joined forces to attack the Yanluo Clan, attempting to rescue the Yan Lord, who had not yet completely fallen. But they did not expect Yan Huanyu to have already invited Meng Naihe to the Yanluo Clan as a guest, repelling the two.
Meng Naihe became famous in one battle, announcing to the world that the ancient Meng Clan had not been destroyed and had returned.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What is Grandfather worried about?"
"The Corpse Buryer has succumbed to the Five Decays of Heaven and Man and passed away from this world. Before leaving, I saw him one last time." Xue Jue War God said this with no fluctuation in his eyes, as if the Worry-Free Tea truly could relieve worries.