Chapter 3978: The First Queen Also Wants to Have a Child
A few words from Panyuan Ancient God cleared up doubts that had lingered in Zhang Ruochen's mind for many years.
When the Five Dragon God Emperor asked what he had understood from the emergence of the "Wa Imperial Palace" and the "Dragon Nest," Panyuan Ancient God, who was usually forthright and spoke his mind, merely glanced toward the Dragon Nest and said meaningfully, "The existence of the Dragon Multitude is like that of Jiwang now. They have a mission bestowed upon them by the Ancestral Dragon. That is the reason he had to go thirty thousand years ago!"
Panyuan Ancient God did not stay long in the Wuding Divine Sea. The Eastern Universe needed a supreme powerhouse to hold it steady.
Before leaving, he tactfully expressed his hope that Zhang Ruochen could take on the responsibility and, taking advantage of the period when Qishier Pin Lian had been banished, purge the ancient hall masters of the Space Divine Temple and the Time Divine Temple.
After all, the thousand realms under the Sword Realm had already been moved to the Wuding Divine Sea, and with a Spiritual Power Half-Ancestor stationed there, there were no worries about the rear.
Moreover, the Sword Realm had a wealth of experts, capable of both offense and defense, unlike the Eastern Universe, which had pitifully few cultivators at the Indestructible Infinite level.
Zhang Ruochen had already harbored such intentions, so he naturally did not shirk the responsibility.
"Imperial Dust, though young, can be considered a fellow traveler. This trip was not in vain!" Panyuan Ancient God let out a long laugh.
Feng Yan returned to the Pangu Realm with Panyuan Ancient God.
During the ten thousand years when the Sundial was activated in the Time Divine Temple, Feng Yan had cultivated within it year-round, his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds. In those ten thousand years, he had walked a path that would have taken other cultivators hundreds of thousands of years, so he now needed time to slowly settle.
Even if the Sword Realm fully activated the Sundial now, it would be of little significance to him.
Breaking through to the Infinite Realm could only be done by himself.
...
Zhang Ruochen and the Five Dragon God Emperor explored the Dragon Nest. Aside from the abundant Ancestral Dragon Qi within, they found nothing.
Emerging from the Dragon Nest, Zhang Ruochen said, "With the assistance of the Ancestral Dragon Qi, the God Emperor's cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds. Moreover, I observe that the Dragon Nest itself is like a remarkable divine artifact, or perhaps a divine formation. In any case, once activated, even I would find it no easy task to break through."
"I, along with my ninth brother and the various elders of the Dragon Clan, have also decided to move the Dragon God Temple into the Dragon Nest, making this place the final fortress of the Dragon Clan."
Suddenly, the Five Dragon God Emperor thought of something and said, "I heard that Chuanzong has returned?"
"Yes!" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Five Dragon God Emperor's eyes were filled with envy. "That child has been intelligent since childhood, with exceptional talent. He perfectly inherited the strengths of you and the Thousand Star Heavenly Lord. After this training expedition, he will surely reach an even higher level!"
Zhang Ruochen understood the implication, knowing where the Five Dragon God Emperor's intentions lay.
Although both were marriages of alliance, Zhang Ruochen's feelings for Yu Chenjing were clearly deeper than those for Ao Linglong.
The Five Dragon God Emperor said, "I ask for nothing else, only that the Imperial Dust treats Linglong well. Don't let this marriage alliance become a tragedy. Did I make a mistake back then?"
Zhang Ruochen could not answer this question, nor did he know what to say.
The marriage alliance back then was indeed brought about by the Five Dragon God Emperor's insistence.
"Rest assured, God Emperor. With you and Uncle Dragon backing her up, who would dare bully her? Besides, I have my own bottom line here," Zhang Ruochen said.
...
After receiving the deities from the various realms of the Wuding Divine Sea, Zhang Ruochen returned to the Imperial Dust Palace.
The Imperial Dust Palace was rebuilt from the Evil Emperor Palace, towering ten thousand zhang high, crystal clear and radiant, with runic patterns covering the surrounding heavens and earth.
Within the palace, several divine trees were planted, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth and emitting divine radiance.
Beneath each divine tree was a small world of its own.
Though they appeared to occupy only a few dozen zhang of land, upon approaching, the space could extend for at least ten thousand miles.
Zhang Ruochen did not set up the Imperial Dust Palace within the Sword Realm but on an island shaped like a crouching ox outside the Guixu.
To enter the Sword Realm, one must first enter the Guixu.
These two gates kept countless people out.
Having to receive visitors from the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm on behalf of his grandmaster, while not wanting too many people to now spy on the secrets of the Sword Realm or threaten the Sword Realm, which had not yet fully merged with the Guixu, Zhang Ruochen could only place the Imperial Dust Palace here.
Zhang Ruochen took out the heavenly pillar left behind by Qishier Pin Lian.
After refining the aura of Qishier Pin Lian within the pillar and activating it with divine Qi, the pillar, originally only a zhang long, expanded to over a thousand miles, becoming a true heavenly pillar standing in the Wuding Divine Sea.
The seawater boiled and receded in all directions.
There were originally two heavenly pillars, which once stood in the Saint Realm, serving as its "Heavenly Gate."
All cultivators, upon reaching the Saint Realm and going to cultivate in the Saint Realm, had to pass through the Heavenly Gate.
In other words, the Saint Realm with its Heavenly Gate was a complete Saint Realm, with a more stable interface and significantly enhanced defensive and offensive capabilities.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had only obtained one heavenly pillar, which was of little significance. If Qishier Pin Lian had lost both pillars, the Heavenly Gate would have reappeared, and Panyuan Ancient God would have done everything possible to bring it back to the Heavenly Court.
The heavenly pillar was heavy, inlaid with countless gems.
Each gem was a star core.
Thus, a length of over a thousand miles was far from the pillar's complete state.
It was precisely because it was so heavy that, standing in this sea area, the space of the entire sea became extremely stable, making it difficult to tear space apart easily.
"If I could use the Heavenly Gate to guard the Sword Realm and the Nine Cauldrons to suppress the nine directions, who could still break through the Wuding Divine Sea?"
Zhang Ruochen silently outlined the future of the Sword Realm in his mind.
Days passed one by one. The Dark Hand did not attack the Kunlun Realm or the White Clothes Valley as everyone had predicted, but instead vanished completely. Many deities speculated that it was because it was too severely injured.
But Zhang Ruochen felt it was definitely not that simple; it must have other plans.
The storm passed, and the situation gradually stabilized.
About three months later, Wen Tianjun used his Divine Realm World to carry the Kunlun Realm to the Wuding Divine Sea. Zhang Ruochen, the Starry Sea Angler, the Five Dragon God Emperor, the Thousand Star Divine Ancestor, and other deities all went to welcome him.
After discussion, the Kunlun Realm was settled in the northern sea area of the Wuding Divine Sea, responsible for guarding the north.
In the Tongtian Divine Temple, cultivators from the Kunlun Realm gathered together, a sea of people, the atmosphere lively, with joy evident on every face.
They knew that the darkest chapter of the Kunlun Realm had completely passed.
After a full eon of ruin, they had returned to the pinnacle of the universe.
Zhang Ruochen did not think there was anything wrong with such a feast during these chaotic times. When it was time to be happy, one should laugh freely.
The calamity of the Ancestor was indeed a sword hanging over their heads. But some of those present might not live to see that day, dying of old age.
Their lives were not that long.
Why should they live their entire lives in fear and oppression?
After the banquet, Wen Tianjun had a private discussion with Zhang Ruochen for over an hour, then announced his seclusion, no longer participating in any affairs of the Kunlun Realm or the Sword Realm.
Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao strolled along a quiet forest path.
After the banquet, the cultivators had dispersed, and the laughter faded into the distance.
Chi Yao wore a Nine Phoenix White Cloud Robe, her hair neatly styled, her clear eyes holding a misty haze, her fair hands hidden in wide sleeves. She said, "Chen Ge, is Wen Tianjun about to attempt the Half-Ancestor realm?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded gently. "This step is incredibly difficult for any cultivator. But once successful, we will no longer fear the calamity of the Ancestor. Everyone is striving to face the tribulation; our path is not lonely."
"I let Kunlun leave!" Chi Yao suddenly said.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm. "You must have your reasons for doing so."
Chi Yao said, "I can see that he still cares deeply for his family. When he fought with Kong Le, he yielded at every turn. He must have his own thoughts. I believe that for a man to truly stand tall, he needs his own opinions, courage, and independent thinking. If he follows our plans completely, it would be like a young eagle never leaving its nest."
"Everyone has their own life. Since he has chosen to persist, he must bear any consequences in the future. I believe he has his own judgment!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen agreed with her, Chi Yao's beautiful face showed a faint smile. "This time, the confidantes from the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm should be able to gather, right? Should I receive them on your behalf?"
Zhang Ruochen met her gaze for a moment, a vague sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Chi Yao said, "Don't worry, I won't eat them. But sooner or later, we'll all be one family; everyone should meet each other, right? Chen Ge doesn't think we'll lose our composure and start fighting, does he?"
Zhang Ruochen thought carefully. If he were to handle such a grand gathering of beauties himself, it would indeed be difficult to consider everyone's feelings.
But as Chi Yao said, sooner or later they would all gather, so why not let them meet in advance?
After much deliberation, Zhang Ruochen said, "That could work, but not in the Kunlun Realm. We'll do it at the Imperial Dust Palace. I'll have Wu Yue help you. Oh, and don't invite anyone irrelevant."
Chi Yao said, "How do we define 'irrelevant'? For example, Hai Shang Youruo and Jue Miao Chan Nu, who have already arrived at the Wuding Divine Sea—should we invite them? If we don't, will they resent it, thinking that Chi Yao is too narrow-minded?"
Zhang Ruochen's head was already starting to ache. "Let's not invite them! Youruo is my sister, and Chan Nu is a monastic."
Chi Yao said, "What about Jing Tianjun, who came with Princess Luo Sha? And Xia Yu of the Undying Blood Clan? What exactly is your relationship with them, and how far has it gone? I'm really not clear."
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but laugh. "Guye Jing is under the Heavenly Mother and is now the Heavenly Lord of the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm. She should naturally be received with higher honors."
"Yu Huang is a junior valued by Grandfather and the Corpse Buryer. She is meant to inherit the position of Great Clan Leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe or the Guardian of the White Cang Star. There's no need to invite them to such a banquet. I'll invite them when I receive the God Kings and God Venerables of the major powers."
"The Green Deer God King has arrived!"
...
Zhang Ruochen carried the Shura Battle Soul Sea and went to the skies above the Wuding Divine Sea to meet with the Green Deer God King.
The Green Deer God King had a human body and a deer head, with wide, net-like antlers on top. His body was dry and upright, completely different from the amiable facade he once put on, his aura like a towering peak piercing the clouds.
The Green Deer God King took the Shura Battle Soul Sea and said, "The Imperial Dust is accomplished at a young age and keeps his promises. It seems there will be many opportunities for cooperation in the future."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Our grievances are indeed settled, but I can't control whether others come to settle old scores with you."
The Green Deer God King had once used the Ashura Soul-Seizing Seal to control Fangcun Master and was suspected of being involved in the death of the Shura Divine Temple's hall master, involving many grudges.
The Green Deer God King laughed. "Others have yet to catch my eye. However, I must remind you: by refining and killing Luotheluo, you have forged a death feud with the Dark Abnormality. He will not let you go!"
"Even if I hadn't refined and killed Luotheluo, he wouldn't have let me go, would he?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Green Deer God King said, "As long as you are aware. Zhang Ruochen, believe it or not, when it comes to facing the Immortal, we are absolute allies. There will surely be times when we join forces again."
"Is that so? Then the God King had better strive to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm. Otherwise, you won't be qualified to join forces with me in the future!" Zhang Ruochen's tone exuded absolute confidence.
The Green Deer God King said, "I broke through the God King's shackles and reached the Heavenly Venerable rank in four eons. With such a cultivation speed, do you doubt I can break through to the Half-Ancestor realm? Zhang Ruochen, do not underestimate any Ancestor who has returned from remnant souls. You can underestimate their strength, but do not underestimate their ambition, or you will suffer greatly."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Are you hinting that I should be wary of A Fuya? Or are you trying to sow discord?"
"Interpret it however you like! But do you believe that a former Ancestor would willingly remain under someone else's thumb? Being under someone else is the greatest humiliation. You may not resent her, but she resents it. In the future, she will make you pay back with interest," the Green Deer God King said.
Zhang Ruochen was not an Ancestor and could hardly empathize, but he could understand the mindset of a cultivator who had once been invincible under heaven, so he took the Green Deer God King's words to heart.
The Green Deer God King's deer eyes showed a smile. "Here's a piece of advice: to conquer a woman, you must first conquer her body and shatter the lofty attitude she always hides before you. Make her clearly understand that she is no longer an Ancestor; she has fallen to the mortal world."
"You are a figure who has a chance to contend with the Immortal. I don't want you to fall into a woman's hands before that. That's all I have to say. I'm off!"
...
Returning to the Wuding Divine Sea, Zhang Ruochen recounted the Green Deer God King's words verbatim to A Fuya.
A Fuya was calm and natural, exuding nobility and elegance from within. Even her skin was like immortal jade, giving an unreal feeling.
She said slowly, "The Green Deer God King's intentions are malicious, aimed at driving a wedge between us. A true strong one would never have such a mindset; it is a sign of insecurity. The Imperial Dust is a future Ancestor; surely you won't be swayed by him?"
"The First Queen speaks wisely. Only the weak have such a mindset."
Zhang Ruochen changed his tone and said solemnly, "However, based on the strength the First Queen displayed in the battle with Qishier Pin Lian, I admit that I am probably no match for you now. The First Queen must still be hiding some of her strength, right?"
In the battle with Qishier Pin Lian, A Fuya had been within the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram and was not in a life-or-death state, so naturally, she had not revealed all her power.
How much unknown power the Ancestor Body and Ancestor Divine Source contained, only she knew.
A Fuya sighed faintly. "It is not easy to put oneself in another's shoes. Gaining trust is harder than ascending to heaven."
Zhang Ruochen said, "By speaking these words openly, am I not showing that I trust the First Queen? But I cannot gamble with the 1,273 major worlds in this Wuding Divine Sea. I have many family members, and I dare not risk their lives."
A Fuya said, "So the Imperial Dust has made up his mind to marry me? Or kill me?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the calm expression in A Fuya's eyes and could foresee that even if he made the most excessive demands, she would agree at this moment.
And what meaning would that have?
"Haha!"
Zhang Ruochen laughed. "If I did that, wouldn't I be falling right into the Green Deer God King's scheme?"
"The Wing Clan Chief and the Seven Arrow God Venerable have delivered the Arrow Dao Esoterica, but I cannot give these esotericas to you now. Can the First Queen understand?"
The role of esoterica was not only to enhance combat.
More importantly, the more esoterica one mastered, the faster one's comprehension of the Dao, and naturally, the faster one's cultivation speed, making it easier to break through realms.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I will use the esoterica to temporarily limit the First Queen's cultivation speed for a period of time. Once I break through to the Indestructible Infinite Peak, I will gift all the Arrow Dao Esoterica to you."
Zhang Ruochen had always been wary of A Fuya, but he also believed that as long as he was strong enough, he could always suppress her. Until one day, when A Fuya saw him, she would revere him like a god, with no more arrogance, and would never dare to have any different thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen spread his right hand. "This is the Fire Dao Esoterica I seized from the Four Yang Heavenly Lord. The amount is considerable. The First Queen can focus her cultivation on the Fire Dao for now."
The Elf Queen "Meila," whom A Fuya had possessed, had the Fire Dao as one of her main cultivation paths.
As long as the amount of esoterica A Fuya controlled did not exceed fifty percent, Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of her causing much trouble.
But once it exceeded fifty percent, Zhang Ruochen was very worried that A Fuya could unleash a Dominator-level combat power. Who knew if the combination of the Ancestor Divine Source, Ancestor Body, and Ancestor Remnant Soul could provide such a boost?
After all, Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable and Qishier Pin Lian could both achieve a Dominator state under specific conditions.
A Fuya took the Fire Dao Esoterica, absorbed it into her palm, and it merged into her skin. "If I were willing to bear you a child, could you trust me absolutely?"
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly, "I do not sense in the First Queen a genuine desire to bear me a child. So, let us not force each other."
"If I want to return to the Paradise Realm, will the Imperial Dust stop me?" A Fuya said.
Bei Xi was dead, the Great Light had fallen, and with A Fuya having merged with the Ancestor Body, her combat power had greatly increased. With just Kelo and Shang Tian, they posed no threat to her.
If she returned now, she would have a chance to become the master of the Paradise Realm.
Of course, most importantly, she wanted to take the Light Esoterica from the Radiant Divine Temple.
For her, the value of the Light Esoterica surpassed even the Arrow Dao Esoterica.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The First Queen is free to go anywhere. But, to be blunt, the deities of the Heavenly Court Universe already consider you my person, a cultivator under the Sword Realm banner. If you return to the Paradise Realm, you will not become the master of the Western Universe, nor will you take away the Light Esoterica."
A Fuya finally gave up the idea of establishing her own faction. "The Imperial Dust lives up to his name. I will wait for the day you break through to the Indestructible Infinite Peak."
As she reached the door of the hall, she stopped. "If we had been born in the same era, both still young, perhaps I would truly have developed feelings for you. But for people like us, we have long forgotten what it feels like to have a racing heart."
Zhang Ruochen was not indifferent to women, nor was he a saint. When he heard A Fuya say she was willing to bear him a child, he was actually quite interested.
But thinking of the mother-daughter pair of Qishier Pin Lian and Xuanyuan Lian directly cut off that thought.
Zhang Ruochen shifted his thoughts, and the figures of Luo Sha, Mu Lingxi, Bai Qinger, Wu Yue, and other women appeared in his mind. But in the end, he took a deep breath and suppressed all kinds of lascivious thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen moved, crossing space, and appeared at the North Cliff of Book Mountain in the Kunlun Realm, meeting with Nalan Danqing.
He checked Shengshu Cainü's body again and confirmed she was fine.
"That old fellow didn't lie this time. That pill is indeed extremely beneficial to you, with no hidden dangers," Zhang Ruochen said.
Nalan Danqing smiled. "You misunderstand Jie Tian. He knows his limits."
"He knows his limits?"
Zhang Ruochen took the teacup Nalan Danqing handed him and took a sip. It was cool and refreshing, filling his abdomen with fragrance. "What tea is this? I've never tasted it before."
"A gift from Jie Tian. He said it can suppress the potency of the pill I took earlier, allowing it to be absorbed slowly. Otherwise, with my current cultivation, I couldn't withstand the pill's intensity," Nalan Danqing said.
Zhang Ruochen stood up abruptly. "How could you casually drink tea he gave you?"
Zhang Ruochen felt there was a big problem here. If the pill was really that intense, he would have completely sealed it back at the Tianren Academy.
What was the point of giving tea?
Jie Tian would not do such a boring thing; there must be a scheme.
Besides cultivation, what else could he be scheming for?
Nalan Danqing's eyes moved, and her expression showed a hint of innocence, as if she had been greatly wronged, but she restrained herself to a great extent.
It was rare to see her like this, and Zhang Ruochen's heart ached. His tone softened, and he said apologetically, "This is not your fault. I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now. You don't understand; that old fellow has no lower limit in his actions. The truth of the matter is hard to speak of. I can only say it's a family misfortune."
"Here's what we'll do: for the next period, stop drinking this tea and stay close to me. If something does happen, I'll settle the score with him and stand up for you."
Zhang Ruochen had always had a certain respect and admiration for Nalan Danqing and would never allow Jie Tian to act recklessly.
Nalan Danqing was naturally not the kind of woman with a fragile heart. She smiled. "You really scared me just now. I've never seen you so angry. You must have other business this time, right?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "You Confucian disciples preserve many scrolls. I hope you can use your influence to help me gather all information about the Second Confucian Ancestor and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable in the most low-key and secretive way possible... and also the Heavenly Demon."
"Not just the collections of the major sects, but also folk records. I want everything, including various folk legends!"
Nalan Danqing said, "Limited to the Kunlun Realm?"
"If possible, I also want scrolls from other major worlds. The key is that it must be secret," Zhang Ruochen said.
Nalan Danqing had fully recovered from the shock just now, showing her wise side. "What you're worried about is being detected by top-tier powerhouses. Actually, if you send cultivators of sufficiently low cultivation to do this, even if it's done openly, it won't alert divine-level cultivators, let alone saint-level ones. Of course, it will take more time."
"I knew I could count on you to handle it reliably."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Aren't you going to ask what I'm going to do?"
Nalan Danqing gently shook her head. "What you're going to do must be something big."
Zhang Ruochen was, of course, looking for someone.
Looking for the Immortal behind the Heavenly Demon, the Second Confucian Ancestor, and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable.
Since that Immortal had laid plans on them, he would surely appear in their experiences and have a profound impact on them.
Even if all related records had been destroyed, Zhang Ruochen believed that not a single trace could be completely erased.
This was not just about finding the Immortal behind the three great Ancestors, but also about finding the Immortal behind himself.
"This matter must not be known to a third person."
...
Nalan Danqing clearly saw that Zhang Ruochen's eyes were terrifyingly deep.
(Chapter End)