Chapter 4006: Arriving at Life-Death Ruins
The Dark Abyss defense line stretched over a thousand light-years. All the major worlds and main stars of the Upper Three Clans and the Destiny Temple had been relocated here. This was both to resist the Twelve Ancient Clans and to jointly confront the threat posed by the dark anomalies.
All the death spirit planets and Yellow Mist Great Realm of the Tiannan Star Domain had been moved here by Qingtian to guard the southern end of the defense line.
"Shua!"
In the void, large ripples spread across space.
Zhang Ruochen stepped out from the ripples, as if emerging from a watery curtain, and appeared beneath the Time-Life Death God Tree.
This was not a real tree, but a starry sky tree.
Dense star mist coalesced into the trunk, branches, and leaves. The mist was vibrant and flowed unceasingly.
Countless fruits hung from the tree, each one a planet, ranging from a thousand to ten thousand miles in diameter. Numerous Death Clan cultivators were cultivating on them.
This starry sky tree was the center of the Tiannan Star Domain and also the entrance to the Life-Death Ruins.
Beneath the tree, the eight divine beasts guarding the portal of the Life-Death Ruins sensed the powerful might emanating from Zhang Ruochen. They immediately transmitted their divine thoughts and, together with the cultivators on the starry sky tree, activated the "Time-Life Death God Grand Formation."
The starry sky tree lit up, and the radiance spread across the entire Tiannan Star Domain.
The star domain itself became the formation platform, every planet a formation eye. Countless formation inscriptions shuttled between the planets, causing the yellow-brown death spirit energy to boil and surge.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed. With a sweep of his sleeve, he stirred up a cosmic storm.
"Boom!"
The formation inscriptions were easily scattered like smoke. Space was torn apart, and planets were sent flying, spreading out for trillions of miles.
The eight divine beasts and the cultivators on the starry sky tree were all shocked into kneeling on the ground, unable to muster any thought of resistance.
Indeed.
In the face of absolute power and overwhelmingly strong divine might, with no powerful expert to lead them, their spiritual will was completely suppressed. No matter how strong the formation, it would crumble.
The Gate of Life and Death opened beneath the Time-Life Death God Tree.
Qi Daren walked out from within, bowed to Zhang Ruochen in the void, and spoke with neither humility nor arrogance: "Greetings, Lord Imperial Dust."
"Where is Qingcang?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Qi Daren replied, "My master is inside the Life-Death Ruins. If Lord Imperial Dust dares to enter the Gate of Life and Death, you will naturally be able to see him."
Without another word, Zhang Ruochen flew down and landed beside Qi Daren.
After Zhang Ruochen's figure disappeared into the Gate of Life and Death, the pressure on Qi Daren greatly lessened. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the shattered star sea before him, a bitter smile on his face.
This day had finally come.
Hatred was hatred. Grudges were grudges.
Since an irreconcilable enmity had been formed, and the opponent had not been killed, one had to be mentally prepared for them to come knocking at any time.
At least Zhang Ruochen acted openly and honorably, without resorting to schemes or sneak attacks.
A Death Clan god, his face still pale, asked, "Qi Daren, what should we do now? Should we send word to the Stone Clan, the Underworld Clan, and... and the White Clothes Valley?"
Qi Daren shook his head gently. "With such a commotion, they must already know. If they want to come, they will. If not, it's also understandable. The grudges we ourselves have incurred, we should bear ourselves. To hope for others to save us, even if we are rescued, it will be hard to hold our heads high in the future. Sigh..."
...
The Life-Death Ruins was the foremost sacred land and also the foremost forbidden land of the Death Clan. Located within a cosmic secret realm, only the most talented cultivators could enter to train.
After the battle at the Wuding Divine Sea, the Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable had fallen.
The Thunder Lord was suppressed by Qingtian and brought back to the Life-Death Ruins.
The "Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall," left behind by the Thunder Clan's ancestor, Heavenly Lord Thunder, had also fallen into Qingtian's hands and was now situated in the heart of the Life-Death Ruins.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen's upright and distinguished figure appeared at the entrance of the Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall. He stepped inside and said, "It seems all the great gods of the Death Clan have gathered. Did Qingtian anticipate my arrival?"
The Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall was magnificent and grand, containing another world within, with a vast view.
Below, lightning condensed into an ocean.
Above, rainbow light flowed.
The "Xuan Gu Nine-Eyed Dragon God," who had once guarded the Wuding Divine Sea for the Hell Realm, the Death God Temple's Hall Master "Hu Shang Old Woman," Third Master, the Lord of the Death Clan's Divine City... a large number of Death Clan gods above the Great God level were gathered on either side of the lightning ocean.
Some had bodies as large as mountains, some sat within their own divine halls, and some were followed by vast armies of the Death Clan.
Qingtian was short, thin, and withered. His skin, hair, and teeth were all blue. He sat beneath a divine tree on the lightning ocean.
This divine tree was identical to the Time-Life Death God Tree, but only a few dozen zhang tall.
His voice was slightly hoarse. "Lord Imperial Dust entered the Hell Realm with such fanfare and came to the Dark Abyss defense line. Even if this old man were the most optimistic, I would have to prepare thoroughly, wouldn't I? I have twelve-tenths respect for my enemy."
Zhang Ruochen walked step by step on the lightning ocean, streaks of lightning flashing past him. "This, I have indeed experienced deeply. Back then, I had just broken through to become a god, and Qingtian personally took action to cripple my cultivation. No other Heavenly Venerable-level expert would have taken an enemy so seriously."
"But why didn't Qingtian later root out the problem completely? Doing things halfway is a major taboo."
Qingtian said, "Because this old man changed his mind! You don't need to doubt this. Although you had the protection of the Heavenly Mother, given your cultivation level at the time, if this old man had truly wanted to kill you, you absolutely would not have lived until now."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why did you change your mind?"
"Two reasons. First, Blood Butcher, Feng Caiyi, Que, Xu Fengjin, Famous Sword God, Xiu Chen Heavenly God, Yan Wushen, the people of White Clothes Valley, and even the Death Clan's Source Heaven Lord and some cultivators from Paradise Realm—you were all once enemies. Some of them even nearly killed you. Yet you still accepted them, were willing to change them, and helped them. You didn't simply turn hatred into slaughter. You have the means to resolve hatred and a strong heart. In my over a million years of cultivation, I have rarely encountered someone like you."
Qingtian continued, "During these fifty thousand years with the sundial activated, you did not shut out the cultivators of the Death Clan. Instead, you accepted them openly. This far exceeded this old man's expectations."
"Don't just listen to what a person says; look at what they do. So, when I first heard that your vision was to embrace all rivers and encompass all things, I scoffed. But over the years, I have come to believe it, three or five parts."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you think the hatred and conflict between us are not a big deal? Qingcang, I'm afraid you have misunderstood the meaning of 'embracing all rivers.'"
Qingtian said, "If this old man couldn't even grasp that, could I have lived this long?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then I am curious about your second reason."
"The second reason is that the main contradiction of the universe has changed. In the Middle Ages, the main contradiction was between the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm Universe—a conflict over resources and plunder, driven by panic over the Calamity of Quantities, with all sides wanting to increase their strength as quickly as possible."
"Then the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods appeared, and the Quantity Organization revealed itself. The main contradiction became a conflict between the cultivators of the present era and the cultivators of antiquity, and between the cultivators of the present era and the Quantity Organization."
"Now, it has further become a struggle between the cultivators of the present era and the Immortals, a fight for survival."
"In different eras, under different contradictions, the way of doing things naturally changes."
"So, the reason this old man changed his mind is that you, Zhang Ruochen, might be the only one capable of leading the cultivators of the present era to defeat the Immortals and survive the Calamity of Quantities crisis."
"The reason you have been able to turn so many enemies into friends is also this. These people are now of one mind with you, their goal being to fight against the Immortals and the Calamity of Quantities."
"As long as the goal is the same, we are fellow Daoists."
...
Zhang Ruochen had already arrived beneath the divine tree, only ten zhang away from Qingtian.
The hearts of the Death Clan gods on the lightning ocean were in their throats, worried that Zhang Ruochen and Qingtian would fight.
They were not particularly worried that Qingtian would die at Zhang Ruochen's hands. After all, this was the Life-Death Ruins, Qingtian's home ground for over a million years. Even a Half-Ancestor could be exchanged one for one here.
But as long as a fight broke out, whether Zhang Ruochen was defeated and fled or died together with Qingtian, the Death Clan would be the absolute loser, facing the risk of annihilation.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You think you and I are fellow Daoists?"
Qingtian said, "At least our goals are aligned. And regarding Xumi's death back then, you should know very well that he sought death himself. The Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods forced him to die. We did not have the power to kill him."
Zhang Ruochen laughed. "I'm not actually very interested in pursuing the matters of the Middle Ages. In war, it's hard to judge an event by right or wrong. That was the grudge of your previous generation. I won't collect that debt. But whether Tai Shang, Wen Tianjun, or the Dragon Lord will collect it, I don't know."
"The two debts I want to settle with you are different."
Zhang Ruochen spread his arms, and hundreds of Rakshasa cultivators walked out from his Divine Realm World.
"Whether in the Heavenly Court or the Hell Realm, too many cultivators have died because of the Quantity Organization. These Rakshasa cultivators trained in the Witch Hall. They are the orphans of the gods who died in the battle of Rakshasa Divine City. That battle was instigated by the Quantity Organization. Too many people died, and a deep hatred was forged. What Qingtian sees now is only one ten-thousandth, one hundred-millionth of the aggrieved parties."
"The members of the Quantity Organization who participated in that battle, including the Heavenly Sound Divine Mother, have all received their due punishment, except for Second Master."
"Qingtian's protectiveness is famous throughout the world. But you have a master-disciple bond. What about them? Their parents, masters, elders, friends, and fellow disciples are all dead!"
"Qingcang, you say our goals are aligned. Then first, hand over Second Master."
Qingtian sat there in silence for a long time. "Everyone makes mistakes, Zhang Ruochen. Haven't you ever made a mistake? If a mistake can be corrected and made up for, isn't that a better outcome?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Some people can be given a chance to make amends; some cannot. I am reasoning with you now. You should cherish this opportunity. If reason doesn't work, then we will have to resort to force."
A sharp glint flashed in Qingtian's eyes. "This old man set up such a formation today precisely to use sufficient strength to reason with you. Without strength, how can one reason?"
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze over the Death Clan gods on the lightning ocean, able to see the formation inscriptions flowing between them.
The entire battle formation was completely fused with the heavenly and earthly rules of the Life-Death Ruins.
"So that's how Qingtian sees it. This is your strength?"
Zhang Ruochen raised his left foot and stomped down heavily.
"Boom!"
The lightning ocean trembled violently, constantly collapsing downward.
A Taiji Four Symbols Diagram imprint spread outward from the center of Zhang Ruochen's foot, releasing wave after wave of spatial surges.
"Zheng!"
With the sound of a sword cry, the Abyssal Divine Sword flew out from the Shaoyang Divine Mountain, one sword strike breaking the connection between the formation inscriptions within the Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall and the heavenly and earthly rules.
As the tremor force erupted, all the Death Clan gods were thrown into disarray, flying outward like withered leaves in the wind.
"Boom!"
At the exit of the Life-Death Ruins, the Gate of Life and Death, the Four Directions Universe Seal appeared, shattering the gate.
Instantly, the outside world and the Life-Death Ruins were connected.
Inside the Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall, all the Death Clan gods were swept away by the spatial storm, cleared out.
Qingtian had not expected Zhang Ruochen to act so decisively. By the time he released his spiritual power to control the formation, it was already too late.
A single step too late meant total defeat.
The combined attack formation he had set up in the Heavenly Lord's Treasure Hall to counter Zhang Ruochen had been completely dismantled.
His spiritual power was far stronger than Zhang Ruochen's, so he shouldn't have been a step too late. But the sundial floating above Zhang Ruochen's head, a power of time, had suppressed his speed.
Zhang Ruochen retracted the Abyssal Divine Sword and said lightly, "Now can Qingtian hand over the person?"
"Do you think this old man has already lost? Why don't you dare to take another step forward?"
Qingtian lightly touched the trunk of the divine tree beside him with his finger. Countless trillions of inscriptions appeared, including Ancestor inscriptions and Half-Ancestor inscriptions.
Behind the divine tree, a stone-built divine hall was faintly visible, shrouded in gray death fog.
Qingtian did not bother to fabricate other excuses to stall. He said directly, "Zhang Ruochen, this old man knew you would come to the Tiannan Life-Death Ruins. Do you think he is still here?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you were just stalling for time all along? Where did he flee to?"
"With his ninetieth-level spiritual power, as long as he hides, even if Lord Imperial Dust's cultivation is higher, it won't be easy to find him. So, any place is possible!" Qingtian said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile. "Second Master reached the ninetieth level because Lady Shiji used her Half-Ancestor divine ability to fuse three of Kui Liang Huang's spiritual power thought rivers into his spiritual power. So, his realm is very difficult to achieve true 'Heaven Round No Gap.'"
"Moreover, isn't this precisely a flaw?"
Qingtian had a premonition of misfortune. "What does Lord Imperial Dust mean?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since he has fused Kui Liang Huang's spiritual power thought rivers, finding him becomes much easier. Fortunately, the No Self Lamp left by the Life Ancestor has this ability."
Qingtian was no longer so calm. "Zhang Ruochen, he is a cultivator of the Hell Realm, a Heaven Round No Gap-level powerhouse. If you kill him, it will be no different from declaring war on the Hell Realm."
"Moreover, he is a cultivator promoted by Lady Shiji, a half-disciple of a Half-Ancestor. Killing him is no different from slapping Lady Shiji in the face. Will Lady Shiji let you off?"
"This will push Fengdu Dadi, the Heavenly Mother, and Nutian Shenzun into a difficult position. How can the Hell Realm and the Sword Realm continue to cooperate and win together? How can they jointly deal with the Immortals? You may be satisfied by killing one person, but you will destroy the entire overall situation."
Zhang Ruochen gently stroked the blade of the Abyssal Divine Sword and said unhurriedly, "Who said I want to kill him? How many people has Tiannan Second Master offended? How many debts has he incurred? Don't you, his master, have a count? To kill him, the line wouldn't even reach me. I just need to block you."
"Ice King should have already made his move. Qingcang, let's talk about the second debt."