Chapter 3928: Alliance
Zhang Ruochen had no desire to meet that old clan emperor in such an odd state, so shortly after entering the city, he quietly slipped out of Yuan Jieyi's divine realm world and melted into the eternal darkness of the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
The darkness devoured everything, like black molten iron, suppressing spiritual power and vision, and even heavily restricting space itself.
Of course, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation level, these effects were negligible to him.
He moved like a night walker, gracefully weaving between mountain-sized divine corpses.
...
This city had existed for untold billions of years, standing since the ancient era until now. It could be said that it was even more precious than the physical body of a Half-Ancestor. If anyone could collect it, they might be able to refine it into a unique divine artifact.
But even Heavenly Mother, with her Heavenly Venerable-level cultivation back then, had been unable to do so.
This ruined city bore the footprints and traces of generation after generation of Ancestors and Heavenly Venerables from ancient times to the present, as well as the methods and secret powers they had left behind. If Jiusi Yitianhuang had not voluntarily abandoned his guardianship, the Primordial Beings would not have been able to occupy it so easily.
Zhang Ruochen released Cang Jue and sent him to find Yan Wushen, informing him of the secrets regarding the Jade Seal, the Demon Land, and the Heavenly Mechanism Clan.
This was a test for Yan Wushen, to see if he would truly go all out to find the Demon Land and rescue the Starry Sea Angler.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen sensed a subtle shift in the Heavenly Mechanism. He looked towards the city gate where Yuan Jieyi had just entered, his expression somewhat puzzled.
This wisp of Heavenly Mechanism change was extremely subtle. Zhang Ruochen only sensed it because his Wuji was formless and his Taiji was boundless, capable of encompassing heaven and earth.
"What exactly did the Jade Seal and the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor do?"
Everything seemed normal. The cultivators patrolling the Ancient Desolate Ruins City showed no unusual activity.
The Jade Seal could contend with Nutian Shenzun, his combat power far surpassing Zhang Ruochen's. Zhang Ruochen did not release his spiritual power to investigate the specifics, not wanting to confront him head-on in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's gaze sharpened as he sensed a trace of Chi Kunlun's aura.
Chi Yao, sitting cross-legged in Zhang Ruochen's divine realm world, also sensed it. She slowly stood up and said, "It's Kunlun's aura! It seems the other party has seen through Yuan Jieyi and also guessed that Saint Musician was your transformation. This is deliberately luring you over."
Zhang Ruochen's face was calm as he gazed into the watery darkness. "This Radiant Light is truly not to be underestimated. It's as if nothing can be hidden from him. Is this the terror of an Ancestor? Even a remnant soul left behind is this formidable."
In terms of cultivation and combat power, Radiant Light might be slightly weaker than the Great Demon God's remnant soul (Bone Yan Luo), who had already returned for ten Eons. But in terms of soul perception, he surpassed even the Great Demon God's remnant soul.
As for A Fuya, although she was also an Ancestor's remnant soul returning, she had descended into this era for too short a time. Her combat power lagged far behind these individuals. It remained to be seen whether she could comprehend the *Undying Incantation* and merge with her previous life's Ancestor corpse.
If she succeeded, she would undoubtedly display the extraordinary power of an Ancestor.
Chi Yao, dressed in spotless white Confucian robes, with red lips and white teeth, looked like an extremely handsome scholar. She said, "Chen Ge, ignore him. Kunlun is cultivating at the Divine Ancient Nest."
"Yes, Kunlun is cultivating at the Divine Ancient Nest, yet he deliberately released a wisp of Kunlun's aura, clearly wanting to see me. If I avoid him, wouldn't I be looked down upon?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The voice of the No-Self Lamp sounded: "That's right! What's there to fear? A strong man should have the bearing of a strong man. He's not a true Heavenly Venerable-level, so what's the harm in clashing with him?"
Chi Yao guessed what Zhang Ruochen was thinking. "You're still suspicious of Yan Wushen?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "It's understandable that the Jade Seal could sense or guess that I was hiding in Yuan Jieyi's divine realm world. But how could he know that Saint Musician was my transformation? In the starry sky, I only met him briefly. If I don't figure this out today, I will surely suffer a great loss in the future."
...
The Jade Seal stood by a viscous black blood river, leaning against a massive cyan boulder. In his palm, he held a faint soul flame.
The black blood river was wide, over a hundred meters across.
Rivers formed from the blood of such ancient divine corpses were common throughout the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
A wind rose over the river, but it failed to stir a single ripple.
The Jade Seal's hair strands swayed. A smile appeared in his amber-like crystalline eyes as he put away the soul flame in his palm. He spoke, as if to himself: "Chi Kunlun was right. His father is a true hero. Steady in his actions, yet daring to take risks. Such a person can accomplish great things!"
"How could I be worthy of such praise from Radiant Light?"
Zhang Ruochen appeared like a ghost, silently emerging ten zhang behind the Jade Seal. His figure was straight and upright, like a divine needle fixing time and space in place, unmoving.
Although he did not release his divine might, his aura was in no way inferior to the Jade Seal's.
It was clear that the Jade Seal had met Chi Kunlun while cultivating in the Demon Land.
With his cultivation, it was not difficult to secretly collect a wisp of Chi Kunlun's soul flame.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Were you scheming against me all along, which is why you took a wisp of Chi Kunlun's soul flame?"
"That's right!"
The Jade Seal admitted it frankly. "I took a wisp of his soul flame, but I also guided his cultivation for a while. That's not a loss for him, is it?"
"To receive guidance from Radiant Light is his fortune."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How did you know I was in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City?"
The Jade Seal laughed heartily. "We're all smart people. Why ask such a stupid question?"
"Fine, then let me ask another question! How did you know that Saint Musician was my transformation?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "Because the real Saint Musician is already dead! Bone Yan Luo told me this. The Calamity of Quantities Emperor borrowed the Life Ancestor Divine Source from him using this secret."
"And most of the Calamity of Quantities Emperor's spiritual power thoughts have fallen into your hands. In this world, those whose spiritual power has reached the level of Perfect Circle are few. The only one who could also play the role of the Calamity of Quantities Emperor is you!"
"That's reasonable." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "Do you think I made that up?"
"I just think that, with your cultivation, there's no need to explain so clearly to me. The more you explain, the more it seems like you're covering something up." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal walked out from behind the cyan boulder, facing Zhang Ruochen directly. "I explained because I value you as an opponent. At the same time, I want to temporarily form an alliance with you to do something big."
"An alliance? It seems you don't know me at all." Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "It's precisely because I know you that I made this decision. There are no eternal enemies in this world. If you agree to this matter, I can promise to help you rescue the Starry Sea Angler. You came to the lower realm for this very reason, didn't you? I can assure you, without my help, you will never find the Demon Land."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Tell me, what do you want to do?"
The Jade Seal's expression turned serious. "Enter the Chaotian Que and retrieve the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror."
Zhang Ruochen had heard of the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror, but he suppressed his curiosity. "With your cultivation, why do you need my help?"
The Jade Seal said, "Nine hundred years ago, I would have gladly admitted that. But after coming to the lower realm, I entered the Chaotian Que once. I reached the Qingxu Hall and saw the seven characters left by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable: 'Those who cherish life, stop here.'"
"Can those seven words scare you?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "I know too well how powerful an Ancestor is. For him to leave such words, I naturally have to heed the warning. Living a lifetime is not easy. Even ordinary people cherish their lives."
"Do you think I can lead you deep into the Chaotian Que?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "Since the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable left those seven words, it means he entered the depths of the Chaotian Que. The Chaotian Que remains peaceful to this day, indicating that all the evil within has been suppressed by the power he left behind. You are a descendant of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. You should have a way to borrow the power he left inside. Inviting you to accompany me would certainly be much safer."
Zhang Ruochen laughed. "But I don't think it's safe! After you obtain the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror, will you still treat me as an ally?"
The Jade Seal said, "Great endeavors require risk. You, Zhang Ruochen, are no ordinary person. Defeating you would be easy for me, but killing you? I truly have no confidence."
"What I mean is, before entering the Chaotian Que, shouldn't we first rescue the Starry Sea Angler?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal said, "Naturally. So, do you agree?"
"Since you are willing to betray Bone Yan Luo and release the Starry Sea Angler, why wouldn't I take a risk?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal corrected him. "You can't call it betrayal! Because, from start to finish, he and I were only using each other. The things I promised him, I will still do after coming out of the Chaotian Que. At that point, our alliance will come to an end."
"I like your honesty!"
Zhang Ruochen added, "Since we are already allies, can you tell me where that mysterious sword cultivator is?"
The Jade Seal, as if truly treating Zhang Ruochen as a close friend, spoke gently. "His cultivation is higher than mine. How would I know where he is? Of course, you can rest assured. He is not in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City. Otherwise, we would have used extreme methods to force you into the Chaotian Que to lead the way, rather than forming an alliance. Besides, if he found out about the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror, there would be no share left for me."
"That sword cultivator's greatest interest is to provoke a war between the Twelve Primordial Clans and the Hell Realm. You prevented this battle, so he will definitely find another way. And Divine Musician has already given him a great gift to help him. That's all I can say."
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed drastically. "Yuan Sheng!"
The Jade Seal said meaningfully, "In the end, the reason this battle didn't break out is that the hatred between the Twelve Primordial Clans and the Hell Realm isn't deep enough. Interests are the root cause of war, and emotions are the fuse. That's how it has always been throughout history. If a clan emperor died in the Hell Realm, wouldn't that hatred exist?"
Zhang Ruochen had to admit that the Jade Seal's words held some truth. His originally calm state of mind finally rippled, then swelled into a stormy sea.
The Jade Seal shook his head. "It's too late for you to go back now!"
"Who said I was going back?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Jade Seal showed a strange expression, caught off guard by Zhang Ruochen's words.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Heavenly Mother is on the Hell Realm defense line. She knows that Yuan Sheng is my fiancée. She won't stand by and do nothing. Nor will she allow the Extinctionist to use this as a fuse to kill Yuan Sheng."
Zhang Ruochen knew well that someone of the Jade Seal's caliber would not casually reveal more information.
Once they did, there was definitely a purpose.
He wanted to use Zhang Ruochen's reaction to further confirm whether Heavenly Mother had truly left the Hell Realm defense line, and also to confirm whether Void Heaven had reached the Heavenly Venerable level.
With these two on the defense line, plus Nutian Shenzun, who was closely connected to Zhang Ruochen, it would be extremely difficult for the mysterious sword cultivator to kill Yuan Sheng within the defense line.
After all, Yuan Sheng was an Indestructible Infinite, no ordinary person.
The Jade Seal dared to ambush the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor outside the Ancient Desolate Ruins City only because he knew there was no Heavenly Venerable-level in the city.
If the Jade Seal truly caught a flaw, he would likely immediately use his divine thought to send a message. Once they entered the Chaotian Que, war might break out.
Zhang Ruochen changed the subject. "What about the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor? I sense his aura on you."
The Jade Seal spread his palm. His palm was like a small world, with strands of light order twisting into chains, imprisoning the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor.
The Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor sat cross-legged, all fourteen of his eyes tightly shut, as still as stone, not moving at all.
"He is one of Divine Musician's people! Divine Musician is a formidable figure, quite strange and hard to see through. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I had to suppress him first."
Zhang Ruochen's heart tightened. The Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor was at the initial Indestructible Infinite level. Although the Jade Seal had ambushed him successfully, silently suppressing an Indestructible Infinite was still somewhat terrifying.
Cooperating with him would require caution.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, the Demon Land is not hidden in the Heavenly Mechanism Clan?"
"I'll tell you quietly. The Demon Land is hidden in White Cang Ridge. You can send a message to Yan Wushen now. With his abilities, plus the power of the Divine Ancient Nest, as long as he knows where the Demon Land is, he can definitely rescue the Starry Sea Angler." The Jade Seal said.
Zhang Ruochen had to admit that the Jade Seal was an extremely charismatic man. It wasn't just his handsome appearance, but also that confident air of knowing everything.
The more this was the case, the more Zhang Ruochen felt the danger, the heavy pressure.
This was a terrifying enemy!
That's right, an enemy, not an opponent.
Because the Jade Seal would definitely try to kill him, would definitely seize the Nine Cauldrons from him.
Zhang Ruochen was very clear about this.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "According to what Brother Jade Seal says, we'll have to wait a bit longer before entering the Chaotian Que?"
"Of course, we have to wait. The Heavenly Mechanism Clan Emperor and I came to the Ancient Desolate Ruins City under the decree of Divine Musician. One task was to replace Yuan Suyin in guarding the Ancient Desolate Ruins City, and the other was to investigate whether Saint Musician was hiding in Yuan Jieyi's divine realm world. We have to make some arrangements, don't we?"
Then the Jade Seal added, "Oh, I also invited another ally. By my calculations, he should be arriving soon. Help me receive him. You two are old acquaintances anyway. If you want to send a message to Yuan Sheng, you'd better hurry. It might still be in time."
Zhang Ruochen watched the Jade Seal disappear into the darkness, muttering to himself, as if talking to himself: "This man is very clever, but his weakness is also obvious. Like other Ancestor remnant souls, he is too confident."
Zhang Ruochen said this to spur himself on as well, to always maintain vigilance and not to be clever.
"Confidence is a virtue, but overconfidence is arrogance."
Chi Yao added, "In my opinion, he has another weakness: he is willing to sell anything for his own benefit. Such a person is destined never to have a sincere ally. He might be invincible in favorable circumstances, but in adversity, he will surely fall into utter ruin."
With the *River Map* given to him by Heavenly Mother, Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of the Jade Seal. In fact, he wanted to use his power to enter the Chaotian Que.
...