Chapter 3921: Purpose
What Yan Wushen did not know was that, as early as in the Sword God Temple, Chi Yao and Bai Qinger had already reconciled. The two equally proud and aloof women were as close as close friends, even exchanging their unique techniques and divine abilities with each other.
The reason for this might be the pressure from the even stronger Ji Fanxin. Or perhaps, they were using this attitude to tell Zhang Ruochen and the world of their pride—they would never engage in petty jealousy over a man. They lived for themselves.
Feelings for any one person were only a part of their lives. Their greater pursuit was the supreme Dao and the exploration of the meaning of their own existence.
When Zhang Ruochen and his group saw them, the two women were practicing swordplay in a garden beneath a purple-red divine tree, evolving the Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation.
Purple-red leaves drifted down continuously. Two extraordinarily graceful figures in white robes moved like celestial maidens scattering flowers, their swift, startling movements containing the power of thunder.
Chi Yao and Bai Qinger had both cultivated for many years within the Sundial, each having encountered their own opportunities. Their cultivation bases were now extraordinary, both having stepped into the Great Unbound Infinite realm, directly catching up to figures of the Clan Leader and Hall Master level.
As the sword formation was deployed, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen arrive, the two women descended gracefully, like immortals, and sheathed their swords.
A lingering fragrance still remained in the air.
Chi Yao, dressed in a white Confucian robe, her hair coiled up and fastened with a wooden hairpin, appeared quite simple and unadorned, lacking her usual imposing manner and noble elegance. She said, "After Qing'er refined the World Spirit of the Shiji Divine Star, her cultivation has surpassed mine. It seems I will have a long road of catching up ahead."
"Everything has its cause and effect; this may not necessarily be a good thing! Besides, if Sister Chi Yao were to merge with Zangjin Baihu, I might not be a match." Bai Qinger's long dress was simple and elegant, her black hair like a waterfall, possessing a captivating grace like a Lingbo Immortal.
An uninformed observer would likely think there was some special emotional bond between the two women.
In the distance, Yan Wushen nudged Zhang Ruochen with his elbow and said in a low voice, "Not bad, huh. This Bai Qinger is proud and aloof, decisive in killing, yet she can be so humble—truly rare. If I remember correctly, she is older than Chi Yao, yet she calls herself 'sister.' Impressive. You've made me see you in a new light!"
"It has nothing to do with me. Charismatic women sometimes attract each other."
Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice meaningfully, then added, "But, women... on the surface, they act like sisters, humble and yielding. Only they know what's really in their hearts. However, I am happy to see them like this. It brings me some inexplicable joy."
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen was no longer as cold as before and was joking with him as he used to, Yan Wushen said, "Brother Ruochen no longer suspects me?"
"Brother Wushen voluntarily telling me about your relationship with Gu Yanluo is already the greatest trust you can show me. Let's go. It's time to discuss the real matters."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Bore, who had been silent all along, and walked towards Chi Yao and Bai Qinger.
Although he was chatting and laughing with Yan Wushen, appearing relaxed and carefree, having more than two women present simultaneously, especially with many outsiders around, made Zhang Ruochen feel somewhat awkward inside.
And he believed that these three women must also feel the strangeness, definitely not as indifferent and unconcerned as their faces showed.
In the glazed divine temple that originally belonged to Lady Shiji, Zhang Ruochen, Yan Wushen, Bai Qinger, Chi Yao, Bore, and the five great elders of the Ancient Divine Nest sat on opposite sides of the hall.
It is worth mentioning that Zangjin Baihu was now the great elder of the "Zang" clan, one of the five clans of the Ancient Divine Nest, and the Swastika Azure Dragon was the great elder of the "Swastika" clan.
The other three great elders were: Great Elder Wuzhen of the "Sheng" clan, Great Elder Yicheng of the "Yi" clan, and Great Elder Qingfu of the "Yan" clan. All of them were at the Great Unbound Infinite level.
The Ancient Divine Nest, even with just this tip of the iceberg it had revealed, had already greatly shocked Zhang Ruochen, giving him a deeper understanding of this mysterious prehistoric civilization.
If it revealed its full strength, it would probably surpass any ruling world in the Heavenly Court. No wonder the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm were at war, yet the Ancient Divine Nest could remain neutral for hundreds of thousands of years.
After some polite conversation and introductions.
Chi Yao, who was as natural and unrestrained as a scholar, adopted a serious expression and said to Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting to her right, "Chen Ge, our purpose in coming to the Abyss of Darkness defense line is to go to the Lower Realm to rescue the Starry Sea Angler. This is the unanimous decision of Grandmaster and the Ancestral God of the Ancient Divine Nest! When we set out, Grandmaster instructed me to be sure to invite you to come along and not to act rashly."
Zhang Ruochen keenly grasped something. "Grandmaster went to the Ancient Divine Nest?"
Chi Yao nodded her head. "Once the three Half-Ancestors enter the Nether Prison, there will surely be great upheaval in the world. Many Heavenly Lords from the Heavenly Court side are secretly making contact. How could the top figures of the Kunlun Realm and the Ancient Divine Nest not meet in person?"
"I went to the Ancient Divine Nest together with Grandmaster and have already discussed matters with the Ancestral God, reaching a strategic cooperation alliance of mutual support. The Ancestral God cannot easily leave the Ancient Divine Nest. He has repeatedly asked me to extend an invitation to you, wanting to meet you in person."
"There will be an opportunity."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Why is Senior Yu in the Lower Realm, and why does it seem he has encountered misfortune?"
"Because the Starry Sea Angler is imprisoned in the Nightmare Land, and the Nightmare Land is hidden in the Lower Realm."
It was Yan Wushen who spoke these words.
Bore, sitting below Chi Yao, spoke up, "Didn't you escape from the Nightmare Land long ago? How do you know the Nightmare Land is hidden in the Lower Realm? Or perhaps, you escaped only after the Nightmare Land was moved to the Lower Realm?"
Upon hearing this, the several elders of the Ancient Divine Nest changed their expressions and stared at her.
Anyone could tell that Bore was not merely questioning Yan Wushen.
Yan Wushen's gaze deepened as he looked at Bore.
Bore returned his gaze without any fear.
If she were afraid of being intimidated by a few words from Yan Wushen, she would not be Bore, who did not even fear life or death.
Yan Wushen nodded in admiration. "Very distinctive. No wonder Zhang Ruochen fought a life-and-death battle with me for you back then. I understand a bit now!"
"Although I left the Nightmare Land, I still have a group of followers and secretly left confidants there. If I didn't have these backup plans, how could I have survived until now? If I didn't have a group of followers, wouldn't that be a failure? Do I look like a failure?"
Yan Wushen had already said these words to the Ancestral God and Tai Shang in the Ancient Divine Nest.
Chi Yao believed in the Ancestral God and Tai Shang's ability to judge people and detect lies. "Five hundred years ago, Senior Jiu Tian came to the Kunlun Realm and told me that near the former location of the Sword God Temple in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, he discovered traces of a battle between Senior Yu and someone else. Among them, there was indeed the aura of Gu Yanluo."
She continued, "I rushed to the Shiji Divine Star first to ask Qing'er if she had any special means of communicating with Senior Yu, such as the secret arts in the 'Cloud Dream Thirteen Chapters'."
Bai Qinger was surrounded by a radiant glow. Even while sitting there, she continued to fuse with the World Spirit. She spoke softly, "My master's spiritual power is profound. If he could communicate, he would definitely contact me on his own. The fact that he hasn't contacted me yet can only mean his spiritual power is completely sealed off, or... he may have already met with misfortune."
Great Elder Wuzhen said, "Even if one's cultivation is as high as Gu Yanluo's, completely refining the Starry Sea Angler is absolutely impossible in a short time. Furthermore, Gu Yanluo possesses the remnant soul of an Ancestor, and his own divine soul is very powerful. The need to refine and absorb the Starry Sea Angler is not that urgent. When impacting the Half-Ancestor realm, he might refine him into a tonic."
Bai Qinger said, "Judging from the situation at the Nether Prison, Gu Yanluo has definitely already gone there. That is his only chance to step into the Half-Ancestor realm in the future! This is also our perfect opportunity to rescue my master!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Brother Wushen should have a way to find the Nightmare Land, right?"
Yan Wushen said, "I am not clear about the specific situation in the Lower Realm right now. We will only know once we get there. As you know, the Primordial Beings and the Great Demon God have a deep-seated hatred. Under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that any clan would accept the Nightmare Land and Gu Yanluo. But nothing is absolute. Gu Yanluo is proficient in curses, and it is entirely possible for him to use this method to control the Primordial Beings, achieving the goal of hiding within the twelve Primordial Clans."
"Once we go to the Lower Realm, I will first leave a pre-arranged signal to see if any cultivators will take the initiative to find me. If not, finding the Nightmare Land will be quite troublesome. It would mean that when Gu Yanluo left, he sealed the entire Nightmare Land, prohibiting cultivators from entering or leaving."
"Moreover, the Lower Realm is vast. With Gu Yanluo's methods, even if he doesn't hide within the twelve Primordial Clans, he can easily conceal the Nightmare Land. A single realm can be hidden within a square inch!"
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand. "No. Gu Yanluo bringing the Nightmare Land to the Lower Realm is definitely not just to avoid the current Half-Ancestors. His true purpose should be to incite the twelve Primordial Clans to launch an all-out war against the Hell Realm. Therefore, your first speculation is more likely."
Yan Wushen said, "Actually, even if Gu Yanluo has gone to the Nether Prison, the Nightmare Land is still dangerous. Over the years, the Lihentian Yan Clan has absorbed many remnant souls of ancient powerhouses in Lihentian and helped them find bodies to possess. Some of them succeeded in possession hundreds of thousands of years ago, and their current cultivation is unfathomable. Some places in the Nightmare Land have been turned into forbidden zones. Even I cannot enter, and I don't know what is hidden inside."
Suddenly, Bai Qinger spoke up, "You have just arrived, so you may not be very familiar with the situation on the Abyss of Darkness defense line. I really want to rescue my master as soon as possible, but I have to say that the most urgent matter right now is to prevent the twelve Primordial Clans from launching an all-out war."
"Based on the series of small-scale wars that have occurred recently and the continuously gathering forces of the twelve Primordial Clans, an all-out war is on the verge of breaking out. It might happen within the next few days."
"Once an all-out war breaks out, it will inevitably trigger a chain reaction and then sweep across the entire universe. Lady Shiji and Heavenly Mother, who were about to enter the Nether Prison, might have to change their plans and return to defend. And this might be exactly the result that Gu Yanluo and others want."
The hall fell into silence.
Everyone was calculating the various scenarios that would unfold after an all-out war.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I once promised Lady Shiji that during the time they enter the Nether Prison, I would prevent the twelve Primordial Clans from launching an all-out war against the Hell Realm."
"How can this be stopped? Even with the Heavenly Venerable-level Nutian Shenzun in charge, he cannot suppress the twelve Primordial Clans."
"Only a Half-Ancestor can intimidate them. Once they learn that the Half-Ancestors have entered the Nether Prison, war will break out immediately. Even if they only suspect it, they will not miss this unprecedented opportunity to counterattack the Upper Realm."
"Lord Imperial Dust, this matter is beyond our capabilities. Going to the Lower Realm to rescue the Starry Sea Angler is our mission."
"Actually, we could go to the Lower Realm and create some chaos. That might be able to tie down the Primordial Beings."
...
The hall erupted into heated debate.
Zhang Ruochen sat upright, not participating in the argument, appearing extremely calm and composed.
Chi Yao looked at him and smiled slightly. "Chen Ge seems to have a plan. What do you intend to do?"
Zhang Ruochen lightly tapped the table, and the crowd quieted down.
"Actually, rescuing Senior Yu and preventing the twelve Primordial Clans from launching an all-out war are not in conflict," he said in a loud voice.
Yan Wushen looked at him sideways, a curious expression on his face.
Zhang Ruochen continued, "We can split up. Brother Wushen and the several elders of the Ancient Divine Nest will enter the Lower Realm first to investigate where the Nightmare Land is hidden. When the time is right, and while ensuring your own safety, you can create some chaos. Or you don't have to, because the Hell Realm has certainly already sent gods in to do this."
"Yao Yao and I will go to the camp of the Primordial Beings first and find a way to hold back the armies of the twelve clans."
"If Gu Yanluo wants to incite the twelve Primordial Clans to attack the Hell Realm, then there must be hidden agents from the Nightmare Land in the camp on the opposite side of the defense line. If we can find them, it will be much easier to locate the Nightmare Land."
Zhang Ruochen stopped there, not revealing all the implementation details and his complete plan.
"Brother Ruochen, you can always trust me. My vision may not be as grand as yours, but the direction of our ideals is the same. Your mind is clear and penetrating. If I conceal something from you, you will detect it. I also hope you can perceive the sincerity in my heart."
Before leaving with the four elders of the Ancient Divine Nest, Yan Wushen spoke this sentence to Zhang Ruochen with a serious and earnest expression.
This was a conversation between intelligent people, straightforward, but the truth and falsehood were for each to discern.
Chi Yao and Bai Qinger, carrying a faint fragrance, walked out and stood on Zhang Ruochen's left and right, watching the five figures disappear into the void.
Chi Yao's gaze turned slightly cold and sharp, like a drawn sword. "Yan Wushen has great secrets hidden behind him. His words cannot be fully trusted. Going to the Lower Realm this time, we must be extremely careful."
Bai Qinger said, "How could someone who has cultivated the Six Paths Reincarnation be as simple as he claims? This person is very formidable. I cannot see through him. It is difficult to distinguish good from evil, friend from foe."
"Even Qing'er cannot see through him?"
Zhang Ruochen had always had great confidence in Bai Qinger's intelligence and wisdom.
Bai Qinger said, "All I can see is that he has only battle intent towards you, no hostility—at least not for now. That alone is already remarkable. If it were anyone else in his position, they would have long wished to kill you, the only one who can surpass him as a future Ancestor, to shine throughout the world. This kind of non-jealous, non-narrow-minded magnanimity is already enough to command admiration."
Chi Yao said, "Abnormality always has a reason for being abnormal. For example, he might not care at all about titles like 'future Ancestor' or 'number one Heavenly Proud One under Heaven.' What he cares about lies in a higher place."
Zangjin Baihu walked out at this moment and spoke in a crisp voice, "Why do you think so much? Instead of studying others, it's better to strengthen yourselves. Deal with whatever comes. As fellow prehistoric creatures, the Swastika Azure Dragon and I will inevitably have a battle sooner or later to establish our positions in the world."
Zhang Ruochen looked at its large, furry head. "Well said. Good spirit. You've made progress. You and Yao Yao work hard. Don't let him get too far ahead."
With that, Zhang Ruochen reached out with both hands to encircle Chi Yao's and Bai Qinger's slender waists. But before he could enjoy the firm sensation, he was immediately shaken off.
The two women walked into the hall, almost in unison, saying, "With important matters at hand, please maintain your dignity, Lord Imperial Dust."
Beside him, Zangjin Baihu laughed, a hint of mockery in its tone. "Chi Yao and Bai Qinger are not women like Mo Yin and Luo Sha, who you can handle as you please."
"Who said that?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Zangjin Baihu immediately stopped laughing.
"In the future, I don't want to hear that again."
The implied belittlement in those words displeased Zhang Ruochen. He slapped Zangjin Baihu hard on the rump before turning and walking into the hall.
The slap was extremely heavy, making Zangjin Baihu yelp, its rump turning red.
Entering the hall, Zhang Ruochen still had many details to discuss with Chi Yao and Bai Qinger, but Bore walked towards him and stood opposite him.
With no outsiders present, Bore no longer had that tough exterior. Her eyes were slightly red, and she said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. Because of my recklessness earlier, I caused you to lose the upper hand in your confrontation with Yan Wushen."
Bore was well aware that when Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen met outside the Witch Hall, their intangible confrontation had already begun.
Yan Wushen knew that Zhang Ruochen suspected him.
Zhang Ruochen also knew that Yan Wushen knew.
Bore knew her mistake was in not helping Zhang Ruochen, thinking she was helping, but her involvement instead allowed Yan Wushen to use her as a breakthrough point, seizing Zhang Ruochen's weakness and launching the most ferocious counterattack, leaving Zhang Ruochen with no further opportunity to strike.
Originally, if Zhang Ruochen had pressed his advantage, he might have had a chance to catch a flaw in Yan Wushen's words and then force him to make a move.
Unfortunately, after Yan Wushen's fierce counterattack, Zhang Ruochen never had another chance to speak.
If he had spoken again, he would only have invited Yan Wushen's merciless mockery and lost even more badly.
Zhang Ruochen could feel Bore's guilt and, even more, her humiliation. He smiled and said, "Are you defeated just like that? You have to understand, a figure like Yan Wushen only appears once in who knows how many eons. Losing one round is perfectly normal."
"But I can't accept that I caused you to lose to him. If it had been the Empress or Miss Qing'er, this result would never have happened," Bore said.
"This isn't losing!"
Zhang Ruochen comforted her. "Yan Wushen's reaction was so extreme at that time. He wanted to use you as a breakthrough to completely silence me, but that actually exposed the guilt in his heart. After coming here, he realized this too. That's why, before leaving just now, he voluntarily admitted that he had concealed things from me. That was his way of making amends."
"If it had been me in that confrontation with him, he might not have revealed such an obvious flaw. Alright, I know you took a big hit this time. Go back to White Clothes Valley. Communicate more with Jue Miao Chan Nu and Yan Shu Chan Shi about Buddhist principles. Being unmoved by honor or disgrace is the true attainment of the Dao."