Chapter 3923: Cauldron of Light, Crown of Victory
Zhang Ruochen followed the lingering aura through the Void World, pursuing it relentlessly.
He did not know how much time had passed before he finally discovered a zone of spatial fragmentation, where the Real World and the Void World had been pierced through.
Flying out from this fragmented zone, Zhang Ruochen found himself far from the Hell Realm's Dark Abyss defense line and the Abyss of Darkness itself, arriving in a vast and unfamiliar starry domain.
Ahead lay the desolate cosmic frontier at the western extreme of the Hell Realm.
Regardless of which extreme, the frontier cosmos was empty, dark, and cold, lacking in matter. Often, one could travel hundreds of trillions of miles without seeing a complete planetary form.
Divine power fluctuations were intense, with colorful clouds and radiance.
In the cosmic void a hundred billion miles away, Nutian Shenzun was locked in combat with an unknown powerhouse whose entire body radiated the divine light of radiance. This expert appeared extremely young, clad in white robes and silver armor, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, and wore a golden crown atop his head. At the center of the crown was set half a purple gemstone, releasing a thick and overbearing Ancestor Divine Qi and Ancestor Rules.
That was no gemstone—it was half an Ancestor Divine Source.
White light like lightning crackled at the crown's edges, dispersing deep into the void, each strand capable of tearing apart a billion miles of space.
"Is this... the legendary Crown of Victory?" Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Legend had it that the most supreme Ancestor in the history of the Radiant Divine Temple, the Great Radiance, had forged a divine artifact crown while still in the Half-Ancestor realm. It could harness the power of an Ancestor Divine Source, allowing him to battle Ancestors.
It was even said that he had defeated an Ancestor, hence the name Crown of Victory.
No one believed a Half-Ancestor could defeat an Ancestor.
Yet, the followers of the Radiant Divine Temple believed it without doubt. They held that the Great Radiance was the most powerful Ancestor from antiquity to the present, not only invincible at the same cultivation level but also capable of overcoming higher realms, sweeping through an era, and pacifying the world with a single thought.
Whether true or false, the mere existence of such a legend already demonstrated how extraordinary the Crown of Victory was.
Gong Xuanzang, who had been observing from the sidelines, glanced at the arriving Zhang Ruochen, his gaze quite cold.
Naturally, he was displeased, having realized that he had been used by both Zhang Ruochen and Xue Jue War God.
Used to deal with the Nether Hall Hall Master, thereby drawing out the Great Radiance.
To be included in the plan yet kept in the dark was undoubtedly a sign of distrust.
Zhang Ruochen paid no heed to Gong Xuanzang's inner anger. As the true number one powerhouse of the Underworld Clan, if he had failed to detect the problems with the Nether Hall Hall Master, allowing a large number of Primordial Beings to infiltrate the Hell Realm and wreak havoc on the Ancient God Path, could he not be held even slightly suspect?
At the very least, it was a crime of negligence.
By using this opportunity to help prove his innocence, he should be grateful instead.
"Twilight of the Gods!"
The young cultivator wearing the Crown of Victory spread pairs of holy wings from his back. The power erupting from the crown grew even more ferocious, with streaks of lightning-like white light striking even thousands of billions of miles away, their speed already breaking the rules of light speed and entering the domain of order.
This vast starry domain shook violently.
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft exclamation, feeling the Universe Cauldron, Earth Cauldron, Flood Cauldron, Heaven Cauldron, and Shaman Cauldron on his person tremble slightly, as if resonating.
"How interesting? Could it be that the legendary Crown of Victory was forged from the Cauldron of Light?" Zhang Ruochen speculated.
If so, possessing the power to recast the Nine Cauldrons, the Great Radiance's cultivation must be truly unimaginable.
After all, not every Ancestor could recast the Nine Cauldrons.
Nutian Shenzun was fearless and indomitable, his body like a majestic divine mountain as he strode forward, unleashing the Immovable Wisdom King Fist to clash head-on with the surging Ancestor Divine Qi and order of light.
"Boom!"
The entire starry domain, spanning over a hundred trillion miles in diameter, was covered by a yellow-brown, star-mist-like light.
Immersed within, heaven and earth turned to twilight, making it impossible to distinguish past from present.
The young cultivator was sent flying backward, golden divine blood trickling from his mouth, yet he remained upright and steadfast, a smile of elegant bearing on his face: "As expected of the legitimate son of the world's last Ancestor. I have truly learned something today!"
Nutian Shenzun's battle intent surged, the Gate of Destiny floating behind him, his eyes blazing with light brighter than a star. "Are you the Great Radiance?"
The young cultivator shook his head. "I am merely a remnant soul returned. How could I compare to even a thousandth of the Great Radiance? You may call me Yuzhuan."
This undoubtedly told Nutian Shenzun that he was indeed a vessel possessed by the Great Radiance's remnant soul.
But, like Gong Nanfeng, they were only remnant souls, not even comparable to a single finger of the living Fate Ancestor or the Great Radiance. How could they dare to use their former titles?
The young cultivator calling himself Yuzhuan continued, "A remnant soul is merely a trace of unwilling thought left by the Great Radiance before death, wishing to leave a mark on the world. If I can achieve even one-tenth of the Great Radiance's accomplishments in this life, I will be satisfied."
Nutian Shenzun said, "With your cultivation at the peak of Indestructible Infinite, able to exchange more than ten moves with me, your future achievements will not be low."
"Only by borrowing the power of the Crown of Victory," Yuzhuan said.
"To be so humble makes you far more agreeable than those arrogant cultivators of the Radiant Divine Temple!" Gong Xuanzang had somehow circled around to the void on Yuzhuan's left.
Zhang Ruochen stepped on a sky full of talisman light, appearing behind Yuzhuan. "The Great Radiance, after all, is such a supreme existence. Even a mere remnant soul left in the world cannot be compared to ordinary mortals. But why did you still submit to Gu Yanluo?"
Yuzhuan's blue eyes fell on Zhang Ruochen, showing no panic despite being surrounded. "Gu Yanluo is not qualified to make me submit. However, I have indeed been cultivating in the Demon Land all these years, as you guessed. He helped me find a vessel; I had to repay that favor, no?"
The next instant, Yuzhuan, carrying boundless radiant divine light, flew toward Zhang Ruochen at an incomparable speed.
Nutian Shenzun had just taken a step in pursuit when he heard a piercing sword cry.
Looking up, he saw a dazzling sword qi, as if cleaving the universe, slashing straight toward him.
In that moment, across an immeasurably vast starry domain, countless Sword Dao Rules emerged, forming a boiling ocean of sword rules that engulfed everyone.
Even under the terrifying pressure brought by Yuzhuan, Zhang Ruochen could not help but look up.
"It really is him!"
Zhang Ruochen clearly saw the appearance of that sword cultivator, his heart shaken to its core.
"Boom!"
Yuzhuan shattered the protective talisman light around Zhang Ruochen, as if a wall of light had slammed into him, sending him flying backward.
Then, Yuzhuan spread his palm, condensing a massive hand of light, reaching out to seize Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen, who had been sent flying, suddenly sharpened his gaze. The Abyssal Ancient Sword appeared in his right hand, and he swung it in a horizontal slash.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen flew backward even faster, but in doing so, he escaped Yuzhuan's mental lock.
"Sword Twenty-Two!"
Without any pause, Zhang Ruochen raised the sword above his head with both hands and slashed out a sword light that connected heaven and earth.
The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal naturally manifested beneath his feet and above his head, seizing the Sword Dao Rules that belonged to the mysterious sword cultivator within this region and redirecting them toward Yuzhuan.
Thus, the power of this sword strike was elevated by several levels.
With a thunderous roar, the massive hand of light and the sword qi shattered simultaneously, turning into strands of bright radiance.
A strange light flickered in Yuzhuan's eyes. He had chosen to abandon the easier direction of Gong Xuanzang and target Zhang Ruochen instead, aiming for the Nine Cauldrons on Zhang Ruochen's person.
But contrary to his expectations, Zhang Ruochen was far more troublesome than he had estimated.
Even just the Imperial Talisman's defense was not something he could break through in a short time.
"Courtesy demands reciprocity. Try this, Myriad Forms Formless."
Zhang Ruochen reached into the void, grabbed the Heavenly God Chain, and dragged out the Dark Hand, activating the Myriad Forms Formless Seal in its palm, striking a palm at Yuzhuan.
At the same time, behind him, a corner of his Divine Realm World unfolded.
Chi Yao, Zangjin Baihu, and the Selfless Lamp each shot out a beam of light, surging toward the Universe Cauldron on the back of the Dark Hand.
The Myriad Forms Formless Seal was like the seal of heaven and earth's path, containing unparalleled mystery. As the power of space erupted, Yuzhuan, who had not yet had time to activate the Crown of Victory's power, could only defend passively, his body flying backward hundreds of thousands of miles.
But after all, he was a figure capable of exchanging blows with Nutian Shenzun. Even with the combined strength of four experts, they could not harm him in the slightest.
"Zhang Ruochen, until we meet again."
Yuzhuan transformed into a beam of light, flying straight upward.
Zhang Ruochen did not pursue, choosing instead to first regroup with Nutian Shenzun.
In the empty cosmos, escape was possible in all six directions. Leaving Yuzhuan behind was undoubtedly as difficult as reaching the heavens. Moreover, that mysterious sword cultivator had also appeared!
Nutian Shenzun's expression was grave. He had even summoned the Snow Domain Star Sea Divine Army, saying, "Be careful. I can sense another powerful figure hidden in the shadows, their aura faint and elusive, their cultivation not inferior to mine."
Zhang Ruochen said, "They won't dare act rashly because they don't know if Heavenly Mother has left the Dark Abyss defense line. Yuzhuan fled immediately after a single failed strike because he fears Heavenly Mother."
Zhang Ruochen had not used the "River Map" earlier precisely to avoid revealing the secret that Heavenly Mother had already left.
As long as Heavenly Mother had not appeared in the Nether Prison, she still held a deterrent effect on everyone here.
Moreover, using a Half-Ancestor's strike would likely fail to kill an existence like Yuzhuan. Using it now would be very unwise.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Your combat power now is quite surprising to me. With Yuzhuan's cultivation, he couldn't even injure you."
Gong Xuanzang, who had just arrived, nodded in agreement.
He had harbored some dissatisfaction, even resentment, toward Zhang Ruochen, but now he had to consider changing his mindset.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Yuzhuan was careless! He didn't even use the power of the Crown of Victory, and he had already been injured by you, Divine Venerable, before this, greatly reducing his combat effectiveness."
Gong Xuanzang nodded inwardly. This made it easier for him to accept. "Imperial Dust, why be so modest? With your combined strength with three experts, your combat power is certainly not inferior to any peak Indestructible Infinite expert. Against a Heavenly Venerable-rank, you could also fight."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Gong Tian, don't flatter me. Just now in the Nether Critical Realm, I was nearly captured, utterly embarrassed and in a sorry state."
Then, without any concealment, Zhang Ruochen recounted what had happened earlier.
Nutian Shenzun narrowed his eyes. "What you encountered must be one of the two musicians of the Great Nether Mountain. I should have gone to meet them myself."
Gong Xuanzang's expression turned heavy. "I didn't expect the two musicians of the Great Nether Mountain to have reached such a level. If we add Yuzhuan and the mysterious sword cultivator, if Heavenly Mother leaves, the consequences would be unimaginable. Should we invite Void Heaven over?"
Nutian Shenzun nodded.
The successive appearances of Yuzhuan, the mysterious sword cultivator, and the pipa musician had made the situation at the Abyss of Darkness even more complex, causing Nutian Shenzun to already feel the storm brewing.
Zhang Ruochen's mind replayed the image of the mysterious sword cultivator he had seen earlier, and his brow furrowed.
That mysterious sword cultivator was exactly the same as the Shangqing Zhang Ruochen had seen when crossing time and space in the Wuliang Realm.
What unsettled Zhang Ruochen even more was that when that mysterious sword cultivator had struck earlier, both the Sword Bone and the Dark Hand had fluctuated.
"Is Shangqing a vessel possessed by the remnant soul of the Sword Ancestor, or by the remnant soul of the Dark Anomaly?" Zhang Ruochen's emotions were extremely complex, but he quickly regained his sharpness.
No matter how grim the situation, he should press forward courageously.
Since the two Half-Ancestors had entrusted the Dark Abyss defense line to him, he had to shoulder the responsibility.
"It's better to return to the defense line. Although the mysterious sword cultivator and Yuzhuan fled in this battle, Heavenly Mother did not make a move. They will soon react and guess that Heavenly Mother has left the Dark Abyss defense line. War might break out today!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Xuanzang was shaken. "What? Heavenly Mother has already left the defense line?"