Chapter 3945: Inside the Carriage
"Imperial Dust is not at the Time Divine Temple. If Lord Lian wishes to find him, you may go to the Wuding Divine Sea."
Qiangu Nüdi possessed unparalleled talent, no less than Xue Jue or Huang Tian, and had long lurked in the Hell Realm, facing enemies ten or a hundred times stronger than herself. Naturally, her mental state was far beyond that of ordinary cultivators, revealing no cracks or traces.
Xuanyuan Lian's azure lotus mark on his brow flickered, and azure radiance emanated from his entire body. He said, "That excuse might fool others, but how can it deceive me? Now is the most critical moment at the Wuding Divine Sea. Why have you returned to the Time Divine Temple?"
Xuanyuan Lian appeared forceful and aggressive, directly releasing strands of divine soul thoughts that transformed into wisps of light and shadow, flying toward all directions of the Time Divine Temple to search.
The light in Qiangu Nüdi's eyes was like sword energy, then converged into invisibility. She said, "Lord Lian truly lives up to being the daughter of the Heavenly Venerable. You have never regarded me, the Grand Elder of the Time Divine Temple, with any respect. Since I am so unappreciated, I will no longer hold this position!"
"This trip to the Heavenly Court was originally for this matter."
Qiangu Nüdi had found a suitable reason for her return to the Heavenly Court.
After his investigation, Xuanyuan Lian withdrew his divine soul. Deep in his pupils lay a trace of desolation and helplessness that no one could detect. He said, "Is the Female Emperor so eager to sever ties with the Heavenly Court? The Kunlun Realm is still within the Heavenly Court Universe. Many cultivators from the Kunlun Realm are still training in various realms of the Heavenly Court Universe. Some things cannot be cut off."
Xuanyuan Lian's attitude, so different from before, made Qiangu Nüdi believe in Zhang Ruochen's judgment.
Could it be that within Xuanyuan Lian's divine realm world, or within the golden carriage, there was a powerful being capable of threatening Zhang Ruochen's life?
But this was the Heavenly Court!
Given Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation level, who could kill him silently?
Since Xuanyuan Lian's attitude had shifted, it meant the enemy hidden in the shadows had let down their guard.
With Qiangu Nüdi's divine realm world as cover, coupled with Zhang Ruochen's flawless spiritual power at the Heavenly Circle level, this concealment meant that even a Half-Ancestor, without forcibly releasing their divine soul to probe the divine realm world, could not detect Zhang Ruochen's aura or heavenly secrets.
"Up to now, the various realms of the Wuding Divine Sea still belong to the Heavenly Court Universe, guarding the western defense line for the Heavenly Court. But Lord Lian should understand that I will likely never return to the Time Divine Temple. Continuing as Grand Elder of the Time Divine Temple would only stir up immense controversy and make things difficult for the Heavenly Palace."
"I take my leave!"
Qiangu Nüdi gathered all the items she had left in the Time Divine Temple, storing them in the bracelet-shaped space storage treasure on her wrist, and walked freely toward the hall's exit.
Xuanyuan Lian said, "Female Emperor, let me see you off. Please, get in the carriage."
"No need!" Qiangu Nüdi said.
Xuanyuan Lian grasped Qiangu Nüdi's wrist, strands of divine energy flowing at her fingertips, and repeated with firm eyes, "Please, get in the carriage."
Even Qiangu Nüdi, at this moment, sensed the strangeness of Xuanyuan Lian's attitude and the intangible dangerous aura. She was about to summon the Wujian Divine Sword and forcibly break out of the Time Divine Temple.
Once outside the Time Divine Temple, releasing her aura would immediately draw the gods of the Heavenly Court.
Qiangu Nüdi was certain that those who wanted to deal with them were definitely not the Heavenly Palace.
No matter how dissatisfied the Heavenly Palace was, they would not use such foolish methods.
"Get in the carriage with her, and then... go to the Heavenly Human Academy," Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice.
Qiangu Nüdi naturally knew that Jie Tian was at the Heavenly Human Academy, and also knew that there was a powerful, reclusive Buddhist cultivator there. But would the hidden enemy give them the chance to reach the Heavenly Human Academy?
Probably, once they entered the golden carriage, they would be suppressed.
Who knew what kind of heavenly net and earthly trap had been set up inside?
She wanted to act now, not become passive once inside the carriage.
But she could not actively ask Zhang Ruochen; if she transmitted a message asking why, it would certainly be detected. If Zhang Ruochen's trump card was exposed, they would lose any chance of a surprise victory.
Zhang Ruochen saw through Qiangu Nüdi's concerns and transmitted again, "I roughly guessed who is threatening Xuanyuan Lian to come to the Time Divine Temple. If we fight here, we have almost no chance of victory."
Zhang Ruochen's transmission and Qiangu Nüdi's thoughts had all occurred in the blink of an eye.
Qiangu Nüdi's gaze remained locked with Xuanyuan Lian's. She said, "Then I will oblige! But before I leave, I want to go to the Heavenly Human Academy to see Jie Tian. I have important matters to discuss with him."
"I will take you there!"
Xuanyuan Lian made a gesture of invitation.
Qiangu Nüdi stepped into the carriage and immediately sensed active space rules, as if crossing a chaotic realm wall. The space inside the carriage expanded.
All around was resplendent gold, with golden divine mist rushing toward her, accompanied by the sound of spring water.
Xuanyuan Lian did not follow her in. He actually drove the three-zhang-tall golden carriage, rushing out of the Time Divine Temple and flying through the air toward the Heavenly Human Academy in Ox-Headed Continent.
Qiangu Nüdi turned and tried to open the carriage curtain, but her fingers were blocked by a semi-transparent realm wall.
Divine power exploded at her fingertips, but it only sent ripples spreading across the realm wall.
"Shua!"
Qiangu Nüdi did not panic. Divine energy circulated within her body, and the Wujian Divine Sword flew out, hovering behind her, condensing thousands of sword energy projections.
The golden divine mist was pushed aside by the sword energy, revealing a purple divine spring pool ahead.
Above the pool, purple mist and golden fog intermingled, and a lotus could be faintly seen floating on the water's surface.
The lotus was white and crystalline, like ice carved and jade polished, emitting specks of time imprint light rain and ripples of space.
In the water, the lotus roots were dense, like countless lightning threads. On each root was wrapped a mass of gray death energy, and within the death energy were rotting divine corpses.
Who would have thought that such a bright and holy lotus absorbed its nutrients from divine corpses?
These divine corpses were the remains of the successive Hall Masters of the Space Divine Temple that Qishier Pin Lian had failed to take away during the battle at Buzhou Mountain.
And this lotus, containing both time and space power, was the Space-Time Chaos Lotus that Zhang Ruochen had entrusted to Xuanyuan Lian.
Qiangu Nüdi stared at the white-clothed woman sitting cross-legged at the center of the lotus and calmly said, "Qishier Pin Lian."
Qishier Pin Lian had a Buddhist halo behind her back and an azure lotus mark on her brow, identical to Xuanyuan Lian's. She slowly opened her eyes and said, "As expected of the most outstanding proud daughter of heaven in this era. Seeing me, you are so calm. It seems that before entering the golden carriage, you had already anticipated this."
Qiangu Nüdi stood tall and heroic. "I am very curious. What exactly is your relationship with Xuanyuan Lian? Is it really as the legends say, that she is your and Hao Tian's daughter?"
"You should not have such curiosity," Qishier Pin Lian said.
Qiangu Nüdi revealed a bright smile, as if she feared nothing in the world. "I am already at death's door. Can't I at least die with understanding?"
"You are wrong. Killing you has no meaning for me," Qishier Pin Lian said.
Qiangu Nüdi said, "You won't kill me? I understand. You want to capture me, to use me as leverage against my grandfather and Imperial Dust. But, senior, you underestimate me. I am confident that I can self-detonate my divine source with my spiritual will."
"Unless your cultivation reaches the Indestructible Infinite realm, you absolutely cannot have that confidence," Qishier Pin Lian said.
Qiangu Nüdi's gaze turned cold. The Wujian Divine Sword flew out at her will, cutting ripples through space, and slashed toward Qishier Pin Lian.
At the same time, Qiangu Nüdi activated the Time Esoterica, erupting with a large number of time imprint light spots, and rapidly retreated toward the carriage entrance, crashing into the chaotic realm wall.
"Not good!"
"Splash!"
Qiangu Nüdi, who was supposed to crash into the chaotic realm wall, found her body completely out of control, instead changing direction and plunging into the purple divine spring pool.
At that moment, space had twisted!
The unparalleled sword strike from the Wujian Divine Sword dissipated into nothingness, landing lightly like a leaf into Qishier Pin Lian's hand.
Holding the Wujian Divine Sword, she looked at the strands of space power on the blade and said, "To use the two paths of time and space before me, you need at least another five hundred thousand years of cultivation to be qualified."
Although Qiangu Nüdi had been born only a little over a hundred thousand years ago, she had cultivated using the Time Source Pearl and Time Esoterica, and had also entered the Sundial for cultivation. Her true age was already close to five hundred thousand years; otherwise, she could not have reached her current level of combat power.
Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao, who had used the Sundial to cultivate and survived their second Eon Calamity, were also close to three hundred thousand years old.
The true ages of Clan Leader Xue Jue and War God Huang Tian were also close to four hundred thousand years, having long passed their third Eon Calamity.
To catch up to those old fellows who had cultivated for over a million years at such an age was already terrifying.
Qiangu Nüdi was drenched, her long hair loose and falling into the water, with pale purple water droplets on her snow-white cheeks.
She tried to fly out of the purple divine spring pool but found her body suppressed by an invisible force. Every drop of water on her was as heavy as a star.
Qishier Pin Lian sealed the sword spirit of the Wujian Divine Sword and said, "Zhang Ruochen, you are now considered a figure of some importance, representing the face of the Kunlun Realm Zhang Clan, an Ancestor family. Do you intend to keep hiding in a woman's divine realm world? You are far inferior to Xumi!"
Qiangu Nüdi, in the water, slowly floated up.
Beneath her feet, space trembled, and a corner of her divine realm world opened.
Zhang Ruochen slowly walked out, but did not leave Qiangu Nüdi's divine realm world. He stopped at the entrance of the world and said, "You are also qualified to mention the Saint Monk's name? Kong Fannin, the Saint Monk used his life but could not awaken your conscience. You have long been twisted by love and hatred. Have you looked in a mirror to see what you have become?"
"Was it really the Great Venerable's fault back then? Was the Withering Death Art a curse cast by the Great Venerable? The Great Venerable has been trying to make up for what he owed you, yet you have been hunting down the Kunlun Realm Zhang Clan to the last, never letting go even now."
Qishier Pin Lian's face was calm, with the serenity of a Buddhist Bodhisattva. She said, "I can understand this as you begging me to spare you? If you kneel and repent on behalf of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, I will consider letting you and the Kunlun Realm Zhang Clan off."
"Are you really Fannin?"
Chan Bing walked out of Qiangu Nüdi's divine realm world, her face full of disbelief.
Qishier Pin Lian stared at Chan Bing. "You are traveling with Zhang Ruochen? It seems Kong Fannu has also handed the Snow Domain Star Sea Divine Army over to him. Are all of you so forgetful? So quick to forget the shame and sorrow of the past?"
Chan Bing was silent.
"Kong Fannin, it is not us who have changed, but you. You can only see the faults in others, but never see that you yourself have long been twisted beyond recognition. To take revenge on the Kunlun Realm Zhang Clan, how many people's feelings have you exploited?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God walked out.
Qishier Pin Lian said calmly and leisurely, "Did I hear that right? You, a piece of time divine jade without blood or flesh, are talking to me about feelings? No, that's wrong. Now I should call you the Sundial."
Hearing these words, Xiu Chen Heavenly God's heart felt as if it were being cut.
Every cut severed the feelings she once had with Kong Fannin!
Zhang Ruochen said, "Kong Fannin, you are deliberately cutting off all past emotions, trying to become a cultivator without any weaknesses. But why is Xuanyuan Lian still alive? You can't bear to kill her?"
Zhang Ruochen had long seen through Qishier Pin Lian's methods. She had probably controlled Xuanyuan Lian through the azure lotus mark on her brow, and this precisely showed the unusual nature of her relationship with Xuanyuan Lian.
Most likely, she was indeed Xuanyuan Lian's birth mother.
If she had killed Xuanyuan Lian, grinding away her spiritual consciousness and turning her into a complete puppet, Zhang Ruochen would not have detected anything amiss in advance.
If he could not detect it in advance, Qishier Pin Lian's surprise attack would have left Zhang Ruochen no chance to prepare, and he would have had no opportunity to fight back.
In other words, it was precisely because Qishier Pin Lian did not kill Xuanyuan Lian that she exposed her own flaw.
By pointing this out, Zhang Ruochen was attacking Qishier Pin Lian's self-righteous heart, hoping to make her fall into self-doubt.
At that point, her combat power would naturally be greatly reduced.
Mental state, momentum, and will could affect combat power by twenty to thirty percent.
If they were strong, combat power rose by twenty to thirty percent. If weak, it fell by twenty to thirty percent.
This back-and-forth, once a life-and-death battle erupted, would increase Zhang Ruochen's chances of survival by who knew how many times.
Qishier Pin Lian said, "Zhang Ruochen, do you know why I was certain you were hiding in Huaying Qingchan's divine realm world, yet did not make a move in the Time Divine Temple? With my attainments in the Way of Time, the Time Divine Temple is my home ground."
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and said, "I would like to hear the details."
Weak!
His momentum had weakened!
Qiangu Nüdi sighed inwardly, knowing that Qishier Pin Lian had seized the initiative again, plunging Zhang Ruochen into contemplation of the unknown.
Because of the unknown, Zhang Ruochen would certainly be anxious, thinking about Qishier Pin Lian's deeper intentions.
Did Zhang Ruochen not know?
He did.
But there was no help for it. Qishier Pin Lian's cultivation was far above theirs.
Any anomaly could be fatal.
Qishier Pin Lian did not answer Zhang Ruochen. She said, "Do you know why, even though I knew your purpose, I still let Xuanyuan Lian drive the carriage to the Heavenly Human Academy?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "You want to obtain the Great Venerable's Nine Heavens Celestial World. You want to release the dark and strange part of the body sealed in the Second Confucian Ancestor's Ancestor realm. Back then, when you killed the Fourth Confucian Ancestor at the Heavenly Human Academy, wasn't that your purpose?"
"Unfortunately, you did not anticipate that the Fourth Confucian Ancestor had long been suspicious, leaving the Hunyuan Brush, which opens the Ancestor realm, in the Kunlun Realm, causing your plan to fail."
Qishier Pin Lian said, "What you said is correct, but not complete. I need to use your and Zhang Jie's blood to stain the Nine Heavens Celestial World before I can control it."
"Because you abandoned your former physical body and are now just a lotus, right?"
Zhang Ruochen laughed loudly: "Qishier Pin Lian, do you think you have me cornered? In today's battle, you will definitely lose."
"Hua!"
The "River Map" flew out, hovering above Zhang Ruochen's head, emitting strands of Half-Ancestor demonic energy that could intimidate entire star rivers.